Stars of Twilight
by WrenTree
Summary: Graypaw doesn't know why he's connected to these two mysterious leaders, Whitestar and Blackstar, but when his lone Clan's deputy plunges a mission upon him, he braces himself for the adventure of a lifetime. Plot concepts contrived from Zelda. DISCONT.
1. Allegiances

**A/N: I really wanted to get back into Warriors since I absolutely adore the whole concept of the Clans and ceremonies and names and EVERYTHING. So I put it to something I love most. Zelda. I know, sounds incredibly strange, but I really wanted to find a way to make it work, which I have so far. I'm only going to post the allegiances for now (which is seemingly only one Clan. For now.) and I'll get around to posting chapters and such when I have a lot more written. Hope you guys will enjoy it! **

**PS. I'm only putting this fic in the Warriors section because the only Zelda concepts are characters. I'm not going to put it in x-over since it really isn't one. But please note that the main plot concepts are from Zelda copyright Nintendo, and the concepts of Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter. Thanks!**

**ALLEGIANCES**

_F O R E S T C L A N_

**LEADER: **Lionstar—tan-colored tom with golden eyes and slightly longer fur.

**DEPUTY**: Tigerstripe—Gold tabby tom with darker stripes. _Apprentice, Gingerpaw._

**MEDICINE CAT**: Clearstream—silver she-cat with pale blue eyes. _Apprentice, Lightpaw._

**WARRIORS**(toms, and she-cats without kits)

Swiftleaf—cream-colored tom with dark brown paws. _Apprentice, Graypaw._

Littlerock—small, gray tabby she-cat with a white belly, muzzle, and paws. _Apprentice, Blackpaw._

Redflower—ginger tabby she-cat with longer fur green eyes. _Apprentice, Darkpaw._

Whitefire—snow-white tom with long fur and orange eyes. _Apprentice, Bravepaw._

**APPRENTICES**(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

Graypaw—soft gray tom with a patch of darker gray on his forehead, oddly shaped like a triangle; one blue eye, one orange.

Blackpaw—clumsy, small white tom with a black tail and ear, and a black dot on his nose.

Darkpaw—dark gray tom with yellow eyes.

Bravepaw—tan-colored tom with a brown tail and yellow eyes.

Gingerpaw—ginger she-cat with similarly colored eyes.

Lightpaw—she-cat with extremely light cream fur, almost white, with green eyes.

**QUEENS**(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

Leaftail—small, light-colored tortoiseshell with a white belly.

**ELDERS**(former warriors and queens, now retired)

Brackenstripe—pale tom with a dark brown stripe down his back.

Hollyfoot—brown she-cat with two front white paws.

_C A T S O U T S I D E C L A N S_

Harriet—feral, brown tortoiseshell-tabby she-cat with green eyes; lives in an abandoned shed by the river.

Lacey—brown kittypet with white paws and a white belly.


	2. PrefaceChapter One

**A/N: Preface/chapter one. The preface was too short to make it's own chapter.**

"_But…who are you?" The white _cat meowed, voice revealing absolutely no fear beneath the strong and firm tone. She was still sitting with an air of power on top of the giant boulder, tail resting neatly on her white paws. Her bright blue eyes pierced through the air with a sense of knowledge, with a sense of something beyond the world known to the forest.

And the gray cat seated below the boulder was quite aware of this presence. StarClan was with this cat, but he wasn't worried. He wasn't afraid of StarClan.

"A friend of a friend," he growled, dark orange eyes just as piercing. The light of the full moon seemed to brighten his silvery-blue fur.

The black triangle atop the she-cat's head was also alighted. "You still haven't told me your name," she meowed.

"I don't plan on it," the gray cat murmured, voice lined with impatience. Unlike the she-cat's, his tail was waving back and forth slowly. There were two shadows on either side of him with deep red eyes. The white she-cat couldn't see in the darkness the kind of creatures they were, but they were giant and had black, matted fur all over their hunched bodies. She didn't let fear overcome her; whoever this menacing-looking tomcat was meant trouble.

"My name is Whitestar," the she-cat meowed.

"I know who you are."

"Who are your friends?"

"That doesn't matter." The gray cat got to his paws, along with the dark creatures beside him. Whitestar mirrored their movements only out of defiance. Her tail was no longer resting gently; it was held straight up in the air, showing off her air of power and wisdom.

"The land of the Clans will be mine," the gray cat growled. And with a single flick of his tail, the black creatures leapt for Whitestar. The she-cat hissed, ears pressed against her head. But it was too late, and the strange creatures tackled her to the ground, rendering her unconscious.

* * *

Tigerstripe's ears flickered slightly. "Listen to the twilight," he murmured, gazing up at the treetops as twilight filled the forest.

Graypaw listened. The sweet calls of the forest birds filled the quiet, and he closed his eyes in serenity. "What am I listening for?"

"StarClan," Tigerstripe whispered simply.

Graypaw opened his eyes again and looked at the deputy. "What does StarClan sound like?" he asked quietly.

Tigerstripe kept his eyes to the dim sky. "StarClan sounds like a million cats sighing as night enters the sky, a million twinkling prayers blinking awake as the sadness of twilight fills the thoughts of every cat in the forest. If you close your eyes and listen, StarClan will be there, waiting to be heard."

Graypaw closed his eyes once more and listened. Soon the familiar sounds of the forest blurred into one melodic whisper, and Graypaw knew he was hearing the spirits of StarClan.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Graypaw couldn't sleep. He knew today was going to be the day. He was the oldest apprentice in the Clan, and Tigerstripe had mentioned the day before that the day would soon come to become a true part of the Clan. He was about to become a ForestClan warrior.

Of course, it had always been a question of speculation for Graypaw—all the other cats disregarded his comments and went on with their usual Clan duties. But it had always struck Graypaw as odd: They were known as ForestClan, but there were no other Clans around them. In fact, Graypaw had never even seen any other cats outside of ForestClan, or the occasional stray or kittypet. He had always dreamed of taking an adventure to find other Clans—there just had to be others. He had heard the elders speak of very distant lands where four Clans resided at once. He had been told of a great leader with a direct connection with StarClan and apparently a connection with him. Whenever the great Whitestar was mentioned, all narrowed eyes turned on Graypaw and his fur stood on end. But another name was also followed by the suspicious looks. A name that made Graypaw's blood chill and gave him the feeling that dark eyes were watching his every move. A name that had been spoken for generations upon generations, filled with fear.

Blackstar.

Not even the elders of ForestClan could explain where he came from. His name had been haunting the entire forest long before ForestClan settled there, and no cat could say whether or not he was still alive. It seemed impossible due to his age, but his pure connection with some invisible force, a force beyond StarClan itself, seemed to keep his name alive.

Graypaw had always known the reason behind why the elders looked at him at the mention of Whitestar and Blackstar. Amongst his gently, sky-gray fur, an even darker gray triangle patch was on his forehead. Whenever he stood beneath a full moon with the stars sparkling high in the sky, that triangle seemed to shine softly in the darkness. It was an inexplicable trait, but it had always happened since he was a kit, even on the night of his birth.

And tonight's full moon would cause the triangle to shine once more as he stood vigil on his first night as a warrior.

Before he knew it, some cat was nudging at his shoulder. "Graypaw, you lazy furball, wake up!"

"I'm not sleeping," Graypaw meowed, opening one blue eye.

"Then come on!" the voice of a small white cat chirped. "Swiftleaf is looking for you."

"Hush up, Blackpaw," another voice mewled from his nest in the apprentices' den. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Darkpaw, Graypaw is going to become a warrior!" Blackpaw murmured, voice lowering nonetheless.

"You don't know that for sure," Darkpaw grumbled, usual sourness worse in the morning.

"I'd better be," Graypaw meowed, bathing himself quickly to look presentable. "I didn't get a wink of sleep last night."

"Good luck keeping vigil," Darkpaw retorted.

Graypaw chuckled to himself and looked at Blackpaw. The white tom was so tiny and fragile-looking, and so obviously looked up to Graypaw as a good example. Graypaw certainly didn't mind; he and Blackpaw got along quite well. But many of the other apprentices used Blackpaw's vulnerability against the poor tom. Many said that he belonged in the nursery with the kits because of his size. But Blackpaw saw through all of that and continued looking up to Graypaw.

"You'd better hurry up," the white cat mewled.

Graypaw nodded, stepping out of the hollow log that served as the apprentices' den. He trotted down the path that led to the main clearing to see the few warriors the Clan had bustling about, adding fresh-kill to the pile or visiting Leaftail in the nursery. Leaftail was the only queen, expecting Tigerstripe's kit, and was incredibly lonely. The two were also Blackpaw's parents, but Leaftail's other kits and Blackpaw's sisters had died during birth. They tried once more, and Leaftail will soon be expecting another kit.

The Clan was small, but that was how Graypaw liked it. He knew every cat very well and even went on walks with their leader, Lionstar. Lionstar was a brave, fair leader, and was well-respected by all the cats in ForestClan.

He also had a kit, a young she-cat by the name of Lightpaw. Graypaw loved spending time with her, playing amongst the trees and shrubbery. When the two were still kits in the nursery, they played hide and seek amongst the nettles, mewling with delight. Graypaw had always kept a soft place in his heart for her.

Then she became a medicine cat apprentice. When Lightpaw told him she would be training to become a medicine cat, Graypaw's heart sank all the way to the soil. But he knew that his feelings for Lightpaw would always remain the same.

"Graypaw!" The gray cat looked up to see his mentor, Swiftleaf, trotting toward him. "We've still got some training to do…"

"Before…?" Graypaw wanted to get it out of his mentor.

Swiftleaf's whiskers twitched. "You know very well what." He paused, and the two exchanged equally excited looks. "I can't believe my first apprentice will finally become a warrior tonight. It's a great experience, teaching another cat everything you know."

Graypaw gazed up at the bright newleaf sky, wondering if StarClan could still be heard even if the sky wasn't fading to twilight.

"Your ceremony will be held tonight," Swiftleaf meowed. "Let's do some basic Clan duties before then." He turned around to see Lionstar jump down from a tree stump on the other end of the clearing. "I'll take Graypaw on the morning hunting patrol."

Lionstar nodded. "Littlerock and Blackpaw can go with you."

Graypaw looked up with shining eyes. Blackpaw may have been rather clumsy, but he was incredibly quick and could chase after rabbits for a whole day if he had to. Hunting with him was always a pleasure for Graypaw.

Swiftleaf meowed for Littlerock and Blackpaw to come over as the four prepared for the patrol. Graypaw's whiskers twitched. _I have to make my last hunting patrol as an apprentice the best I've ever done,_ he thought with a satisfied nod.

Once the patrol trotted through the shield of ferns that served as the camp entrance, the apprentices split from the warriors and headed off toward Mother Tree. The enormous tree had been there before the rest of the forest and extended its long, pale branches as a canopy over the ForestClan camp. The branches were low enough for the cats to jump on top of and climb their way to the top, an activity Bravepaw had always enjoyed, even when he was a kit. His mother had given him his name due to his extremity when it came to climbing Mother Tree.

Graypaw lifted his muzzle, opening his mouth to get a better taste of the air. He put all of the techniques Swiftleaf had taught him to the test as he scented a vole scurry through the undergrowth. Keeping low to the ground, he crouched through the various vines and shrubs, keeping both ears forward and both eyes on his prey. The vole, unsuspecting, continued nibbling away at a few seeds left behind by a bird that had flown overhead. Once Graypaw was close enough, he rocked his haunches from side to side and pounced swiftly. He caught the vole beneath his paws and dispatched it with a quick bite to the neck.

Satisfied, Graypaw stood with his tail high in the air. He glanced around to see Blackpaw observing in awe. "Wow! Graypaw, you're an amazing hunter!" the white cat exclaimed, blue eyes round and wide.

Graypaw chuckled sheepishly. He opened his mouth to respond when another, deep voice interrupted from behind him. "Very well done, Graypaw. Swiftleaf has taught you everything you need to know."

The two apprentices turned around to see Tigerstripe padding gently toward them. Graypaw nodded, his deep respect for the deputy showing in his blue eyes. "Thank you, Tigerstripe."

"Blackpaw, I spotted a group of young rabbits along the stream," Tigerstripe meowed to the white tom. "I think you'd do a fine job at collecting them."

Blackpaw nodded and hopped away cheerily, mewling to himself.

The golden tabby pawed his way beside Graypaw. "I have a favor to ask of you, Graypaw," he purred, voice low. "It is somewhat of a secret that only Lionstar and I have known for the past moon. We have both decided it would be best to bestow the privilege upon you."

Graypaw's spirits grew gradually, the anticipation of what was to come ready to explode inside of him. "What do you need to me to do, Tigerstripe?"

"Come, let's walk over to the pond." The two cats got to their paws and padded casually along the undergrowth, eyes ahead.

"I'm a part of the hunting patrol," Graypaw meowed.

"I understand, Lionstar told me it was okay to pull you away for a moment," Tigerstripe responded. After a brief moment of the deputy being lost in his thoughts, he meowed, "There is a Clan, Graypaw, in the middle of an enormous field with stone bridges built by the Twolegs connecting across a giant lake. This Clan has been residing in the Great Field even longer than ForestClan has been in our forest, and yet they've asked to remain secretive."

Graypaw's ears twitched. He knew there were other Clans out there!

"This Clan is incredibly important to ForestClan's survival, Graypaw," Tigerstripe whispered, voice even lower. "When every leader receives his or her nine lives from StarClan at the Moonrock, he or she then makes a long journey with the Clan medicine cat through the forest and across many plains until they reach the Great Field. It is in the field, amongst the secret Clan living there, that the new leader finally meets the great Whitestar."

Graypaw looked up at Tigerstripe. He was suddenly very aware of the gray triangle of fur on his forehead.

"Whitestar entrusts the new leader with great knowledge, since she is a graceful cat of extreme intelligence," Tigerstripe explained. "It is believed that StarClan sent her down to the Great Field themselves, and that she was born of the sky. The great power held within her paws succeeds over all the lands, including our forest."

"You mean Whitestar is the leader of ForestClan?" Graypaw asked.

Tigerstripe chuckled. "In a sense, Whitestar is the leader of everything. But she can't lead all the cats in the world from a single location. There needs to be a leader for each Clan to serve under her."

Graypaw felt a slight chill. "Why does she want to remain a secret?"

"Well, as you know, Whitestar herself isn't a secret," Tigerstripe meowed. His eyes glanced over at the triangle upon Graypaw's forehead. "But her pure connection with StarClan is one that many are envious of. She possesses great wisdom and many cats have often sought to steal this power from her."

Graypaw watched his paws as the two cats padded along the underbrush. "Why are you telling me this? I'm not a Clan leader."

"Whitestar sent a messenger to us last full moon," Tigerstripe explained. "He was a cat by the name of Goldenheart, because he truly had one. He explained to Lionstar and me that the Great Leader had a request of any member of ForestClan.

"Whitestar is ill, Graypaw," Tigerstripe whispered.

Graypaw looked at his deputy. "Very ill?"

"Enough to hinder her power and wisdom," Tigerstripe answered. "She hasn't left the Clan boundaries for moons."

"What did Goldenheart say?" Graypaw inquired.

"Clearstream is one of the best medicine cats Whitestar has ever met, and she has often requested visits from her," Tigerstripe meowed. "She was certain that Clearstream could have a remedy for her."

Realization swept like a wave over Graypaw. "What is the favor you need to ask of me?"

Tigerstripe's golden eyes sparkled with pride. "Clearstream's remedy needs to make it to Whitestar somehow." He paused. "You will become a warrior tonight, Graypaw. Do you think the task could be trusted to you?"

Graypaw didn't know what to say. His mind was already racing with thoughts about adventure and finally meeting the Great Leader. "But…why me?"

Tigerstripe stopped walking once they reached the large pond beside a giant oak tree. He sat on his haunches and gazed into the rippling water. "I'm sure you know why every cat looks at you when Whitestar is mentioned."

Graypaw sat down beside the gold tom. He glanced at his reflection in the surface of the pond, watching the gray triangle gently wave to and fro. "But, we have similar markings on our forehead. So what?"

Tigerstripe's whiskers twitched. "It is the symbol of StarClan, Graypaw. Whitestar has a single black triangle upon her forehead, which she has explained in her own words to be a gift from StarClan."

Graypaw's eyes widened. "And…I have that gift too?"

"That's why Lionstar and I have agreed to give you this honorable mission," Tigerstripe meowed. "We feel that it is necessary you meet the Great Leader."

Graypaw stared through the trees on the other side of the pond, thoughts roaming around through his mind. It seemed to him that everything was happening at once. He discovered the truth about the Clans and about Whitestar, he was becoming a warrior, and now his Clan's deputy was plunging a dangerous mission upon him to meet the legendary cat said to come directly from the stars.

Tigerstripe let the gray apprentice seep into his own thoughts for a moment and caught a mouse scurrying about a tree trunk. "Let's go," he finally meowed. "Collect your vole and return back to the camp. I'm sure Swiftleaf will want to speak to you."

* * *

"Graypaw!"

The gray tom's ears flicked toward the sound of Lightpaw's gentle voice. He turned to see the soft-colored medicine cat apprentice trotting toward the fresh-kill pile. She sat down beside him and pawed a mouse from the heap.

"You're becoming a warrior today!" she exclaimed, taking a bite.

Graypaw's tail shot into the air. "I know! I'm so excited." He paused, watching her chew. "When do you think you'll receive your warrior name?" he asked.

Lightpaw straightened. "Hopefully soon," she responded. "Clearstream says that she's running out of things to teach me."

The two chuckled quietly. "Listen, Lightpaw…"

"Yeah?"

"Has…has Clearstream ever talked to you about the Great Leader?"

Lightpaw looked at him in puzzlement. "Whitestar?" She swallowed. "Sure, she's come up in conversation, but nothing significant. Why?"

Graypaw shrugged. "Just wondering."

He stood up, leaving Lightpaw to finish her meal. He wanted to ask Lionstar so many questions about the Great Field and how to get there, as well as Whitestar and her secret Clan. But as he made his way over to the tree stump, the three youngest apprentices galloped full-speed into the clearing. "The fox! That darned fox came back. It was just outside the camp!"

Tigerstripe jumped down from his perch atop a large rock. "Where outside?" he asked sternly.

Bravepaw stepped forward. "It was stalking around the borders, real close! It smelled our fresh-kill."

"Bravepaw fought it away!" Gingerpaw mewled as Bravepaw stood tall, basking in the praise.

"That fox is dangerous, Bravepaw," Tigerstripe scolded. "Whenever you see it, you need to come back here immediately and inform a grown warrior." Without another word, he leapt out of the camp in search of the creature.

Bravepaw padded over to the fresh-kill pile, tail hanging low. Graypaw shook his head. "I know you can't wait to be a warrior, but the fox killed Nettleclaw, don't you remember? No cat would want a young apprentice fighting it off."

"I can fight off a fox!" Bravepaw growled. "They're just stupid animals anyway. Cats can outsmart them."

"I know, but it's still dangerous," Graypaw meowed. "Just leave it to a warrior."

"You're only saying that because you'll be a warrior soon," Bravepaw hissed. "I want to be a warrior now!" And with that, the tan tom bounded off to the apprentices' den.

Graypaw looked at his paws. He hadn't only been saying that because he was becoming a warrior. He truly meant it. But he shrugged off the matter and continued toward Lionstar's den. His mind was still racing, and he knew it wouldn't rest until he had some questions answered.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: PLEASE R&R.**

"Ah, if it isn't young Graypaw. Well, not so young anymore."

Graypaw walked into Lionstar's den to see the tom's smiling eyes watching him from his nest. "Are you ready to become a warrior?"

Graypaw felt a purr rise from his throat. "I'm very ready, Lionstar." He paused, thinking briefly to himself.

Lionstar chuckled heartily. "I believe Tigerstripe has spoken to you. I thought he was going to wait until tonight."

Graypaw shifted on his paws. "I don't think I can do it, Lionstar," he mewed.

"StarClan has given you a gift, Graypaw," the leader purred. "They have chosen you for whatever reason, and the Great Leader will be able to help you realize your gift and understand what StarClan wants of you." He paused once more, thoughtful. "Before your mother passed on, she confided in me a great secret, and told me to tell you once the time was right.

"Your mother received a message from StarClan long before you were born. She was only a young warrior at the time. An unfamiliar cat had come to her in a dream and said the legendary warrior would be born again of her, with the purity of StarClan and a gift to succeed all others. The warrior informed her that this gift would be in the form of a triangle, one of three shared by two other cats. Unfortunately, the warrior didn't mention why you would receive this gift."

Graypaw felt a tremor make its way through him. StarClan obviously had a full destiny planned for him and he wasn't sure if he wanted that or not.

"I'm sorry, Graypaw," Lionstar meowed, "but this is a fate written for you and you only, and you have to accept it."

"No, I don't," Graypaw retorted, surprised in himself. "I don't have to take the remedy to Whitestar."

"I'm your Clan leader," Lionstar responded firmly. "And I am ordering you to journey to the Clan."

Graypaw felt the fur on the back of his neck stand slightly. He knew he couldn't get out of this. And even though he knew the fate set up for him by StarClan was an extreme and dangerous one, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of excitement in his veins. This was the adventure he had always yearned for.

"Lionstar!"

Lionstar immediately stood at the sound of Littlerock's distressed voice. He bolted out of the leader's den, Graypaw right behind him.

"My kits!" Littlerock mewled as she raced through the clearing. The three met in the center, and a crowd of cats peeked out of their various dens. "Lionstar, Tigerstripe still isn't back from warding off that fox, and I can't find my dear kits anywhere!"

Lionstar glanced at Graypaw. "Find Swiftleaf and search for them," he meowed. "You're almost a warrior now; you two should be able to split up."

"Yes, Lionstar," Graypaw replied, rushing off to the warriors' den. He found Swiftleaf inside and quickly relayed Littlerock's plea for help and Lionstar's orders. They galloped out of the camp, keeping their eyes out for Tigerstripe and the fox that had continuously swiped fresh-kill from their camp for the past couple of moons.

"I'll head down by the pond," Swiftleaf meowed. "Head over the hill and see if they've wandered off that way."

"That's where the fox's den is," Graypaw observed.

Swiftleaf sent him a nervous look. "I know."

The two split apart, and Graypaw dashed to the left. He sprinted over the hill and charged down the large slope, keeping his crystal blue eyes wide open for any sign of Bravepaw and Darkpaw, as well as the fox.

He crept his way through the thin tree trunks, crouching low in the undergrowth with alert senses. He smelled a strong fox-scent, but the two apprentices' scents were also mingled with it. A pang of apprehension hitting him, Graypaw continued onward.

It wasn't long until he found the Treebridge. The monstrous tree had fallen moons ago, conveniently connecting the two sides of a concave ravine. The ForestClan cats rarely crossed the Treebridge, since the other side of the forest was infested with all types of dangerous creatures, including foxes, badgers and snakes.

Graypaw lifted his muzzle and inhaled. With another pang of nervousness, he realized that the two apprentices had followed the fox-scent across the Treebridge.

"Those mouse-brains are going to get themselves killed!" Graypaw muttered under his breath. Glancing around him very cautiously, he jumped onto the base of the fallen tree trunk. A couple specks of dirt still glued to the roots crumbled off, tumbling down to the flowing river below. Graypaw braced himself and dashed across. Once he got to the other side, he weaved himself through the resting branches, thankful to feel the soft soil beneath his paws.

He lifted his muzzle once more, sniffing out the direction of the fox-scent. It didn't take him long to run across a dusty clearing where a boulder had been smashed apart by something. In the center of the crumbling stone, Graypaw saw a wide burrow that seemed to have been dug some time ago. The fox-scent was strong, and Graypaw assumed this was its den.

But a horrible realization hit him when he turned around and saw a baby fox tussling about beneath a tree with its brother. There wasn't a single fox in the forest, there were many.

There was a screech behind him, and Graypaw spun around in terror. The enormous fox that had been stealing fresh-kill from ForestClan stood there, posture defiant. Bravepaw was dangling in its mouth.

"Bravepaw!" Graypaw yowled, taking a step back.

As if the new meal hadn't mattered, the fox dropped Bravepaw on the ground. Graypaw could see the tan apprentice still breathing, which reassured him. However, the snarling fox was now advancing on him, the two tussling kits now cowering in fear behind who Graypaw assumed to be their mother. The gray apprentice backed into a piece of boulder behind him, swallowing. _You can do this, Graypaw. Prove that you're a warrior._

With a yowl, Graypaw launched himself at the fox, avoiding her snapping jaws. He gripped her face, claws digging into her muzzle. The she-fox let out a cry of pain, trying to shaking the cat off her snout. The two kits howled in fear for their mother. With a quick swipe, Graypaw clawed at the fox's eyes, blinding her. She let out another howl of agony, tail hidden between her back legs. She began whining, ears pressed backward. Graypaw jumped off, backing away from her.

With another yelp of pain, the fox sniffed for her two kits and nudged them away. She turned back to Graypaw. "You and your Clan haven't seen the last of me…" she hissed, voice strained from screeching. Without another word, she padded away, children mewling behind her.

Graypaw rushed over to Bravepaw. "Bravepaw? Come on, mouse-brain, wake up…"

After a few moments of silence, Bravepaw's eyes fluttered open. "Hmm…?" He groaned in pain, stumbling to his paws. "What…happened?"

"You ran off," Graypaw reminded him. "Looking for the fox?"

Bravepaw looked away in remembrance. "I wanted to prove that I was just as strong as you." He paused, glancing back at Graypaw. "Did…did you save me from her?"

Graypaw nodded modestly.

Bravepaw quickly licked his shoulder. "You know, I feel bad for her and her kits," he murmured suddenly.

Graypaw gave him a look. "What do you mean?"

"When I found her, she was feeding her kits," Bravepaw recounted. "I asked her why she kept stealing fresh-kill from ForestClan, and she answered quite simply that she was weak and tired, and couldn't hunt for her kits anymore. Our fresh-kill was already dead, so all she needed to do was go to the camp, collect the fresh-kill, and bring it to her kits. She hasn't eaten in days, Graypaw. All the prey is for her kits. And not to mention she lost her mate to a fox-hunting Twoleg."

Graypaw thought about what he just did and felt a sliver of guilt. "And then she attacked you?"

"After her explanation, she said she would need all the prey she can get, and then attacked me," Graypaw mewed. "Once she knocked me down, I played dead, thinking I could maybe get out of it later. But her jaws really hurt!"

Graypaw couldn't stifle a little chuckle. "Let's get back to camp." The two travelled back in comfortable silence.

* * *

When they got back to the camp, Swiftleaf had returned was Darkpaw and Tigerstripe. Lionstar was seated atop his tree trunk, tail resting gently on his front paws.

"Bravepaw! Oh, my Bravepaw!" Littlerock bounded up to the two of them, showering her son in licks.

Lionstar hopped down from the trunk and padded calmly over to Graypaw. "You found him?"

"In the jaws of the fox," Graypaw muttered.

"And you fought the fox off?"

Graypaw nodded. "Bravepaw had played dead, which was very smart of him." He flashed a glance at Bravepaw, who was trying to get away from his mother desperately.

Lionstar's smiling eyes met Graypaw's once more. "It certainly has been an exciting day for you, young warrior."

Graypaw felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter their wings. He watched as Lionstar hopped back on top of his trunk and called the whole Clan together for a meeting. "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the trunk for a Clan meeting." Swiftleaf's ears perked up, and he looked at Graypaw proudly.

"Graypaw, please come forward."

Graypaw's heart beat just a little faster as he padded through the thin crowd of cats, tail held high.

Lionstar blinked slowly down at him. "I, Lionstar, leader of ForestClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." He looked at Graypaw. "Graypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. From this moment you will be known as Grayheart. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ForestClan."

"Grayheart! Grayheart!"

Lionstar jumped down from the stump and touched his muzzle to Grayheart's ear. The new warrior stooped to briefly lick his leader's shoulder, tingling inside.

After the ceremony, Swiftleaf bounded up to Grayheart, purring loudly. "Grayheart! Congratulations. I'm very proud of you," he meowed. "And I'm sure your mother would be too."

Grayheart touched noses with his former mentor and received congratulations from the other warriors and apprentices.

"Grayheart will hold silent vigil tonight," Lionstar concluded, dismissing the meeting. "Congratulations, Grayheart," he meowed, voice filled with pride. "I'm sure you'd much rather meet the Great Leader as a warrior."

Grayheart suddenly felt secure with his journey to the Great Field. Now that he was a warrior, he felt he could make the journey a hundred thousand times if necessary.

"Grayheart!"

Grayheart turned his head to see Lightpaw dashing over to him from the medicine cat's den. "Congratulations!" The two touched noses briefly. "You're finally a warrior."

Grayheart looked down. "It's true Lightpaw, that all medicine cats go to the Moonrock to receive a vision directly from StarClan, isn't it?"

Lightpaw's whiskers twitched at the strange, abrupt comment. "Yes, it is."

"Did StarClan mention anything about a gift?"

Lightpaw glanced away. "StarClan hasn't mentioned anything about a gift…"

Grayheart sighed to himself. "All right. Thank you."

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. At sunhigh, Grayheart shared tongues with his former mentor as they discussed his journey to the Great Field to give Whitestar Clearstream's remedy. He finished up a mouse for his meal toward the end of the day and eventually padded up to Lionstar, who was seated at the base of the stump, sharing tongues with Tigerstripe.

"When should I keep vigil?" Grayheart asked quietly.

"The sun is setting," Lionstar meowed, getting to his paws. "Your vow of silence begins now."

Grayheart nodded, determined not to mess anything up by accidentally speaking. He padded over to the center of the clearing and sat down, tail over his front paws. He stifled a yawn of fatigue. _No matter what happens, I'll stay awake_, he told himself diligently.

* * *

Of course, that was easier said than done. By the time the sun peeked it rays above the horizon, Grayheart felt tiredness pull at his eyelids. He was extremely grateful when he saw Redflower appear from the warriors' den. She stretched, fiery-orange pelt bright as the sun crept into the sky.

"Good morning, Grayheart," she mewed, padding over to him. "Was Starpelt bright last night? You can speak now, the night is done."

"Starpelt was brightened by the full moon," he murmured, drowsiness apparent in his voice.

Redflower chuckled heartily. "Go and get some sleep. You deserve it."

Grayheart nodded and got to his paws, trotting drearily over to the apprentices' den. He paused, gave his shoulder a quick lick to mask his embarrassment, and turned toward the warriors' den. He imagined it would be difficult getting settled in a new sleeping place, but he was so tired that it didn't really matter to him.

He stepped through the blanket of ferns, careful not to disturb any of the sleeping warriors. But it didn't matter, because a blood-curdling shriek sounded from outside in the main clearing.

The other warriors shot up instantly, startled by the sudden loud noise. "What in StarClan was that?" Whitefire groaned, still drowsy from his sleep.

"That didn't sound like a cat," Littlerock muttered, darting out of the den. The other warriors followed her quietly, as Grayheart watched. He groaned to himself. He needed sleep more than anything right now, but his first duties were to his Clan and not himself. He padded slowly out of the den.

The sight before him seemed to brighten his senses. His eyes widened as he saw a brown fox in the middle of the camp, Darkpaw in its jaws. It was a male fox, and therefore not the same she-fox he had encountered before.

"Darkpaw!" Littlerock yowled, baring her teeth at the fox. "Put my son down!" With a frightful screech, she lunged at the fox. Redflower jumped after her, trying to save her apprentice.

Just as Lionstar emerged from his den, quickly followed by Tigerstripe, two other foxes appeared, breaking in the sides of the camp.

Grayheart shuddered, hoping that this wasn't all his fault.

One of the foxes dragged Bravepaw out of the apprentices' den, holding him in his jaws as the tan apprentice squirmed and wiggled fiercely.

"Why are they going after my kits?" Littlerock yowled in distress.

Lionstar rushed over to calm the she-cat just as the last fox picked up Blackpaw and Gingerpaw by their tails. "More like why are they going after the apprentices?" Tigerstripe meowed. He rushed over to the other fox, screeching at him to let his son go.

Grayheart watched in horror as Blackpaw dangled from his tail, yowling in pain. The caterwauling had awoken the elders, who were now joining the battle between fox and cat, scratching at the brown pelts.

But Grayheart was even more terrified when the she-fox, the same one he had saved Bravepaw from, bounded out of the medicine cat's den with Lightpaw between her teeth.

With a howl of rage, Grayheart slammed himself into the she-fox. Startled, she dropped Lightpaw to the ground. Grayheart saw her sniffing around her, eyes shut tightly. "It's that gray cat!" the fox snarled defiantly. "You stole my kits' meal."

"Taste dust, you mouse-brained creature!" Grayheart lunged for the fox, but to his surprised, she leapt out of the way, obviously very agile for being blind. Without another word, she sniffed for Lightpaw and scooped her up in her jaws, bounding out of the whole they created in the camp wall.

"Lightpaw!" Grayheart cried, dashing after the fox. The other foxes dashed out as well, apprentices still in their mouths.

"Grayheart, come back!" Lionstar yowled.

Grayheart halted, turning wide-eyed to face his leader. "What are you talking about?" he meowed. "Those foxes just ran off with all our apprentices! We have to save them or the Clan will—"

"Grayheart," Lionstar interrupted. "We'll get them. You need rest or you'll faint."

Grayheart looked at his paws. He did feel dizzy from lack of sleep.

"Go settle into the warriors' den," Lionstar meowed, voice urgent. "The rest of you, come with me." The warriors dashed out of the camp, leaving Grayheart behind in the dusty clearing.

He got to his paws quietly, all the while thinking of Lightpaw. She had been unconscious when the fox had dropped her, and he was terrified that she might not ever be conscious again. He padded wearily over to the warriors' den, slumping inside. He pawed together a nest of moss and fern leaves, curling up inside of it. Even though he couldn't imagine being able to sleep after such a battle, sleep eventually came over him like a gentle wave.


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: I think I might stop after this chapter. Or maybe one more. No one is reading, so I'm not gonna continue it for nothing. PLEASE say something if you want me to continue it!**

_It didn't take the ForestClan cats _long to stop the foxes and rescue the apprentices. When Lionstar returned, he explained to Grayheart that the she-fox had found another mate that could hunt for her and her kits. The forest was still thriving with prey that could be shared between different species of hunters. The foxes had finally agreed not to take the younger cats for prey anymore, and the Clan was for the most part safe from the foxes. But the good part was that every cat was safe and virtually unharmed.

"Today's the day, Grayheart," Lionstar meowed as the gray warrior stretched in the rising sunlight. "Clearstream has the herbs ready for the Great Leader."

Grayheart nodded solemnly.

"Why don't you join the morning patrol for one last walk around the forest?" Lionstar suggested. "I'll send Tigerstripe and Gingerpaw with you."

But the patrol was uneventful. All the while Grayheart couldn't get his mind off of what was about to happen. He muttered various small talks to Tigerstripe and humored the endless flirting from Gingerpaw. They caught a few pieces of fresh-kill along the way and quietly brought them back to the camp. There was an air of worry amongst all the cats, as the various parents scolded their kits for wandering off into the woods in the first place. Grayheart had never really missed his mother, who had died in her sleep only a moon after he was born. Tigerstripe had served as a father to him, and Leaftail his mother. But since he had never truly met his mother, he couldn't miss her.

"Grayheart! Are you ready to go on your journey?" Lightpaw mewed inquisitively. "I'm sure Clearstream is ready with the special herbs."

Grayheart's ears twitched. "You mean you know about my journey?"

Lightpaw giggled. "The whole Clan does, mouse-brain. What did you think? That you'd leave and none of your Clanmates would notice?"

Grayheart shrugged sheepishly. "I wasn't sure if Lionstar wanted it to remain a secret or not."

"I can't find it!" Clearstream yowled, erupting from her den. "Where in StarClan did it go?"

"What?" Grayheart asked.

"The herbs!" Clearstream meowed. "The remedy for Whitestar! I can't find it."

Lionstar padded up to them. "What's all the ruckus about?"

"I can't find the medicine for Whitestar," Clearstream muttered, clearly frustrated. "Where did I put those darned herbs?"

"Did someone take it?" Lionstar asked.

Lightpaw looked between her paws and Grayheart instantly knew it was her. "Can I talk to you, Lightpaw?" he meowed quietly.

She nodded silently, following him down the path that led to the apprentices' den. "I don't want you to go, Grayheart," she confessed, still looking at her paws.

"Lightpaw…" Grayheart searched desperately for words. "It's my destiny. StarClan has set this path up for me, and I have to follow it."

Lightpaw paused and sat down on her haunches. "It's so dangerous, Grayheart!" she mewled. "StarClan knows if you'll make it back alive or not!"

Grayheart sighed and sat down beside her. "Lightpaw, StarClan will be with me. I know they will be." He paused and gently licked her ear. "I'll think of you the whole time."

Lightpaw looked away in embarrassment. "I have regrets, Grayheart," she whispered.

"What's that?" Grayheart asked.

"Becoming a medicine cat apprentice," Lightpaw answered sheepishly. Without another word, she got to her paws and padded in the other direction, back to where Clearstream and Lionstar were talking. Grayheart saw her confess the deed she did, and winced as Clearstream reprimanded her.

He didn't know why he had to love Lightpaw. He didn't know why StarClan made him turn his eyes to the one cat he could never be with. Her soft, light-colored fur and green eyes always made him do a double-take when he saw her.

Eventually, he puffed in some air and padded back over to the main clearing. He saw Whitefire getting a group together to fix the walls of the camp, and many of the apprentices sharing tongues and talking about their frightening experience.

But, as if once wasn't enough, a sudden blast caused all the cats to leap out of their fur. It was the terrifying sound of a tree hitting the forest floor. However, this tree happened to crash straight through the wall of the camp, destroying the apprentices' den.

Tigerstripe leapt forward, observing the destruction. "Are all the apprentices accounted for?" he yowled, looking around the clearing. "All the apprentices! Come stand by me!"

Once all the young cats were behind Tigerstripe, the female warriors and queen hurried over to make sure their kits were unharmed. Thankfully, no cat was in the apprentice's den while the tree fell.

"How did this happen?" Lionstar mumbled under his breath.

"What's that horrible stench?" Gingerpaw mewled.

Grayheart lifted his nose and sniffed. She was right. A disgusting smell filled his lungs, making him cough once or twice. "That doesn't smell like a Twoleg monster," he meowed.

"It doesn't smell like anything Twoleg," Lionstar observed. "I've never smelled anything like it."

As if StarClan wanted to hide from the scene, dissatisfied-looking clouds blocked the sun, casting an ominous shadow over the ForestClan camp.

Grayheart's heart started pounding. The stench was growing stronger, and he could hear the faint galloping of some creature nearby in the forest. The vibrations traveled through the ground and up his paws, and he could barely keep his balance.

"What in StarClan's name is going on?" Redflower cried, keeping close to Gingerpaw.

With a horrifying screech, a black creature the size of a badger galloped through the opening the tree had caused. It had the resemblance of a dog, but its nasty Twoleg-distinct scent showed Grayheart that it was not a pet, but a stray. On top of that, the dog had orange beady eyes, something Grayheart had never seen before on a dog.

"Get Leaftail and the elders away from the camp!" Lionstar hollered to Tigerstripe. "Every other cat, stay here and fight for your Clan!"

But the dog-liked creature had other plans. With a single stride, it bounded over the warriors and knocked Tigerstripe out of the way.

"No!" Leaftail yowled, unable to run to her mate's side because of her swollen belly.

The creature let out a deafening howl before reaching down and snatching up Lightpaw and Blackpaw in its jaws. It shook them around until they were rendered unconscious.

"Leave them alone!" Grayheart hissed, leaping for the creature. But with a swift, strong kick, the dog hit Grayheart square on his head, and he fell to the ground in silence.

* * *

Grayheart couldn't remember where he was when he woke up. It took him a good moment to realize he was still lying in the middle of the ForestClan camp, and what had recently occurred there. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the sun was still covered by a shroud of clouds. There were no cats in the camp; not even the elders remained. Grayheart assumed that the warriors had run off to defend the forest and protect the apprentices who seemed to be the target of much coveting.

With a simple sniff, Grayheart realized he wasn't alone. He got to his aching paws and saw Tigerstripe still unconscious on the ground beside him. _Sorry, no time to help you out,_ he thought quickly. With a final glance at the destroyed camp, he leapt through the opening around the fallen tree and bounded off through the forest.

He rounded a group of oak trees and scampered across the Treebridge, following the stench of the dog-like creature. But when he reached the foxes' den, something caused him to stop completely short. Confusion and dismay filled his mind as he stared at the scene before him, utterly caught off guard.

Between the boulders of the den, a thick black blanket of StarClan knows what blocked Grayheart's path.

The black substance seemed fluid, running like a waterfall down from the sky. The closer he got, the darker the sky became around him. He stepped so close to it that he thought the world had disappeared, and intricate gold patterns appeared on the wall of black.

With a gargle of interruption, the wall rippled from one point. Grayheart squinted, peering at it in confusion. Suddenly, a giant black paw reached forth from the blanket. It looked like a Twoleg paw, with five long toes and a scraggly arm. Alarmed, Grayheart took a step back. But before he could run away, the paw seized him and yanked him right through the wall.

Grayheart felt like he was passing through five fox-lengths of trees. He slammed into the blanket, noticing it was a lot more solid than it seemed. Regardless, the paw pulled him through until he could breathe once more on the other side.

Grayheart didn't have much time to take in his surroundings before he saw who—_what_—the paw belonged to. Before him he saw a creature the size of a bear with black, scaly skin and long, snake-like tentacles protruding from the back of its head. It had no eyes, but it seemed to be peering at Grayheart in intrigue. A black disk-like face moved closer to the gray cat, as if it was confused at the other animal's presence. Red patterns, the same as the ones on the wall, outlined the creature's body.

Suddenly, the gray triangle atop Grayheart's head glowed the brightest it ever had in dim daylight. In fact, it shined so brightly that the creature had to chuck him away, blinded by the intense light. Grayheart watched as it lumbered away on all fours like a gorilla, hiding from him behind a boulder.

Grayheart's head throbbed. He groaned in pain, crouching on the cold ground. His blue eyes squinted as another throb overcame him, the frequency becoming faster. He let out a howl of pain, doubling over. He felt like his body was melting and shattering into a million pieces at the same time. His fur stood on end as his vision blurred, black flecks of darkness dotting his sight. With a final yowl of agony, he felt his bubbling skin calm and he collapsed on the ground.

* * *

'Oh my. Look at you. Looks like someone tied you up good.'

Grayheart's eyes fluttered open. He shook his pelt, head aching enormously from the pain he had succumbed to earlier. He felt oddly tingly all over, like ants were crawling all over his skin. His fur was still standing up straight as his senses slowly returned to him, the most surprising being sight.

All around him, the air seemed dim with some sort of fog. Even though there seemed to be no light in the area, he could see perfectly fine. Upon closer inspection, he noticed little black flecks floating in the air, flying upward and disappearing as they grew higher.

_Where in StarClan am I?_

'Oh, look. The puppy's awake.'

Grayheart jumped to his paws, feeling a growl rise from his throat. But to his surprise, it almost sounded as if the growl wasn't coming from him, but from another creature. Startled, he looked around him in search of the animal.

A high-pitched giggle sounded from out of nowhere. 'You frightened yourself! How priceless.'

"Where are you?" Grayheart barked in frustration. But he startled himself again, realizing that he wasn't meowing like a cat anymore.

He was barking. Like a dog.

Terrified, Grayheart glanced down at his paws. They were much larger, but still had gray fur. His claws were thick and long with sharper, pointed toes.

With a whimper of confusion, Grayheart turned his head to glance at the rest of his body. He was much taller, and his tail was bushy and soft. _I'm a dog_, he thought in dismay. _Great StarClan, I'm a _dog_!_

'Come on, get over your canine fate and smell the twilight already!'

Grayheart whipped his head around in every direction until he turned his whole body around, looking behind him. He glanced at the ground and saw a black shadow on the floor, one that resembled a puny cat. 'Hello, doggy.'

Grayheart sniffed at the shadow curiously. He heard the high-pitched giggle again and the shadow disappeared, a black current of matter flowing past Grayheart and on the other side of him. He spun around and saw in greater light a very small black cat with piercing yellow eyes. A strange sort of crystal seemed to be covering the cat's left eye, making it seem like she only possessed one.

'You seem to be in a pickle,' the small cat mewed, a constant sneer underlying her tone. 'You kitties never seem to know how to defend yourselves.' She paused, giggling. 'But you're no longer a kitty, are you? No, you're a beast.'

Grayheart growled, snapping his jaws at her. He felt a row of sharp, pointed teeth lining his jaw, and his fangs were much longer than that of a cat's.

He tried to lunge for the cat, but something was hindering his movement. He glanced down at his right paw and saw, to his consternation, a strange-looking chain holding him to one of the bars of a wooden cage.

'I wouldn't snap at me like that,' the cat mewed, one visible eye sparkling. 'After all, I can get you out of here.'

"Yeah? And how are you going to get out of here?" Grayheart snapped, yanking at the chain.

The she-cat giggled once more, transforming into the black current once more and floating on the other side of the wooden cage. 'Just like that.' She took form of the puny cat once more and licked her paw casually. 'And I was about to help you out, but then you started being mean to me…'

Grayheart stopped growling, straightening up. It certainly seemed like this cat was his only hope of escaping, so he wasn't going to push his luck. "You said 'you kitties,'" Grayheart observed, looking at her skeptically. "You're a cat yourself, aren't you?"

The she-cat scoffed his remark with a hiss. 'I am no cat,' she meowed. Regarding him closely, she stepped closer to the wooden cage. With a quick flick of her tail, the chain connecting Grayheart to the bar was severed. Grayheart glanced down at it in shock. Even though the metal was still attached to his ankle, he was free to move. "How in StarClan's name did you do that?" he questioned.

The black cat rolled her eye. 'Come on, wolfie. Get out of there yourself.'

Grayheart's eyes widened. "Wolfie? I thought I was just a dog."

'You're not like any dogs I've seen,' the cat mewed. 'So I'll call you wolfie.'

Grayheart's eyes narrowed again. "And how do you expect me to get out of here myself?" he growled, still not used to his new body, whether it was dog or wolf.

'You're no longer a feline,' the cat explained. 'You have canine-senses. Why don't you hone them and sniff around a bit? You'll find that your sense of smell is rather sharp.'

Grayheart noticed that he didn't need to open his jaws to smell. His nose caught even the slightest scent of murkiness about the place he was in, wherever that was. He quickly caught on to the she-cat's scent, and even noticed that his own scent had been altered drastically. "I didn't know dogs had such an amazing sense of smell."

'Why do you think the filthy Twolegs use them to hunt other Twolegs and animals down?' the she-cat muttered, giving her shoulder a quick lick. 'Now come on, mouse-brain. I'm waiting.'

Grayheart sniffed around the edges of the cage. His nose brought him to a scent of freshness coming from one of the edges near the ground. "There's a hole here," he observed. "But I'm not a cat anymore. I can't fit through."

'You're a wolf,' the black cat meowed. 'And a wolf is a kind of dog. And what do dogs do best?'

Grayheart blinked.

'They bury stuff. Therefore, they're good diggers.'

Grayheart got what she was saying. But even though he was in a wolf form, he still had the instincts of a cat. He couldn't dig under the ground to get to the other side. "Isn't there another way?"

The she-cat rolled her eye. 'My word, you really are a mouse-brain.'

Grayheart snarled again, then tried to remain calm. This she-cat obviously wasn't going to give him any more information, so he might as well do it. Holding his breath, he scuffed his paws against the soft ground until he dug a hole big enough for him to squeeze through. He stuffed himself through to the other side, shaking off his pelt to get the loose dirt off. "Happy?"

'Hmm…'

Grayheart's eyes widened again. He glanced from side to side but still couldn't see the she-cat. "Where did you run off to?" he called, a growl rising from his throat.

Suddenly, something slammed onto his back and he heard the high-pitched giggle again. Grayheart yowled, bucking and thrusting to get whatever it was off his back.

'Whoa! Calm down, wolfie,' the she-cat mewed. Grayheart felt claws digging into his fur. He growled, whipping his head back to face her. There she was, seated on his back.

"What are you doing?" he snarled. "You can't walk yourself?"

'Hey, I helped you get out of this place,' she hissed. 'Without me, you'd still be locked up in that prison. Besides, wouldn't you like to know where you are?'

Grayheart paused, glancing around. She was right. He had absolutely no clue where he was, except for the fact that he was up high. When he lifted his paws to glance over a ledge, he saw the dim darkness of the night outside, and the ground many fox-lengths down.

"Well?" he muttered. "Where am I?"

The she-cat giggled. 'Wouldn't you like to know?'

Grayheart growled in frustration, glancing away. "What do I have to do to get you to tell me?" he asked, clearly unhappy.

'You'll have to find out for yourself,' the black cat chuckled. She patted his shoulders encouragingly. 'Come on, wolfie. Gee yup!'

Grayheart wasn't pleased. "How are you going to stay on?" he asked through bared teeth.

'I can fly, don't you remember?' she giggled. 'I'll be fine.'

Grayheart shrugged and leapt forward. He felt her claws digging into his fur again, but it didn't bother him. As a wolf, his fur was much thicker, and asset he could get used to.

He trotted down to the end of the box that resembled a Twoleg nest. He jumped up and through a hole, onto a ledge. The sight before him made him stop short.

They were on top of a tree. A very enormous, very tall tree.

"Where in StarClan are we?" he mumbled.

'Keep going, wolfie!'

Grayheart rolled his eyes and trotted forward. The branches were just thick enough for him to walk easily across. As he headed onward, down toward the center of the tree, he took the time to view his surroundings. Outside, the light was just as dim as inside the cage. The black flecks were even more visible, floating upward to the yellowish-orange cloud that seemed to cover the entire world. Everything—even his own paws—had a strange outlined color, like they were in a constant dream.

'Isn't the cloud of twilight beautiful today?' the she-cat mewed.

Grayheart didn't say anything. If it was twilight, it still wouldn't explain the black flecks.

He hopped his way down from the last few branches until he hit the center of the tree. There, the ground was flat and round. He was still on top of the tree, but this seemed to be the top of its trunk, big enough to contain a whole Clan of cats.

There was a loud screech behind him, far more different than anything he'd ever heard before. It sounded like a Twoleg monster had skidded to a stop, but the sound was muffled, as if under water. Grayheart spun around quickly to see a strange creature flying—_flying_—at him. It was similar to the one that had snatched him across the wall of black material, but its disk-like head looked like it had been split open to reveal a single, deep red eye. Its body was entirely black with two enormous eagle wings attached to it. Two hind legs dangled behind it as it flew, straight for Grayheart.

The wolf snarled, baring his teeth at the odd-looking creature. "What is that thing?" he howled, hoping the she-cat was still there.

'That's a twilit bird,' the she-cat mewed casually. 'You can take care of it, right?'

Grayheart crouched low to the tree trunk base, taking a step backward. With another screech, the bird lunged from him. He dodged it quickly, and then latched his claws onto its back. He bit at it aggressively, until it gave out a final cry of pain and fell to the ground, dead.

'You killed your first twilit monster!' the she-cat mewled, sarcastically enthusiastic. 'Congratulations, wolfie.'

Grayheart watched the corpse of the bird as it suddenly began to disintegrate. "What's happening to it?"

'It's becoming part of the twilight.'

The body suddenly shattered into a million pieces, a million black flecks. The black flecks instantly became part of the ones around it, floating off toward the sky.

"Do explain how these creatures got here," Grayheart barked.

The black cat giggled. 'That's for you to find out.'

Grayheart sighed. "Where to now?"

'Down,' the she-cat instructed. 'I want you to meet someone.'


	5. Chapter Four

_Grayheart had no idea how to_ go down. But he wasn't about to ask the unnamed she-cat for help, because he knew that she wouldn't tell him anything. He was still utterly confused as to where he was, although he knew he was still on the other side of the black wall. He made the connection that however this dim cloud came into existence, it was referred to as eternal twilight, as the cat had hinted. But it was much more different from the normal twilight that connected the bright sunlight with the darkness of the night. The light of this eternal twilight seemed like no light at all, dim and unwelcoming. Grayheart often found that things he'd normally be able to see, like the leaves of a tree, was all blurred together into the background. It was as if everything and anything he wasn't looking at didn't exist.

The she-cat patted Grayheart's shoulders impatiently. He took a final glance around him before padding forward, the flat bark smooth against his paws. He sniffed around at the base until, to his surprise, he caught wind of a draft coming from a hole in the bark. Right at the edge where one of the branches began, there was a hole just big enough for him to crawl through.

He scratched at the edges of the hole. "If I go through, you'll be crushed," he barked softly.

'Don't worry about me,' the black cat giggled.

Grayheart sighed and poked his body through the hole. Sure enough, as he pulled himself through, the she-cat flew above him in a circle, transforming into the black current, and floated in after him.

Grayheart landed with a thud on the floor of a wooden chamber. It was round and gnarled, as if millions of moons of water had carved it out. He was standing in the only shaft of sunlight as the she-cat landed on his back again, but he barely noticed. He could taste an unfamiliar scent in the air, one of a she-cat.

Suddenly, he saw a white paw emerge from the darkness. Another paw appeared, followed by a white head with a black triangle on top of it.

Whitestar.

Grayheart suddenly knew where he was.

But the Great Leader wasn't concerned with the giant wolf standing in her sun—_twi_light. She was gazing, pure wisdom sparkling in her eyes, at the she-cat above Grayheart's head.

"…Midnight?" she mewed, eyes squinting.

The she-cat leapt off of Grayheart's back gracefully. Even as Whitestar, a normal-sized cat, stood before her, she was much smaller than the average cat. She only stood up to the white cat's shoulder, looking up at her with her squinted, yellow eye.

"I see you've found him," Whitestar purred. She still didn't look at Grayheart.

Midnight sat down, licking her paw. "He was a lot more cooperative than I thought he'd be."

Grayheart noticed for the first time that Midnight's jaws hadn't been moving when she had talked to him before. It was as if she had been speaking to him through his mind.

Whitestar purred in laughter, sitting down before the she-cat. The two had obviously met before, as Grayheart was finding out. Finally, the Great Leader cast him a glance. "The blue-eyed beast…"

Grayheart looked from side to side. He barked a reply, but Whitestar only chuckled in response. "You're a wolf now, young warrior," she meowed. "Even though you still understand the tongue of cats, I cannot understand the tongue of wolves." She padded up to Grayheart and sat once more. "For now you will just have to listen to my words."

Grayheart glanced at Midnight, who was regarding him slyly.

"An evil cat by the name of Nightstar came to me in a dream," Whitestar explained. "I thought he was a messenger from StarClan, so I listened to his words. But I noticed something off about his presence. He most certainly was not from StarClan, but from something beyond this world known to us warriors. He spoke with malice of our realm of light, and praised the realm of darkness. His plans were to shroud our world in the sun with an eternal cloud of twilight, which he could only do piece by piece. He has sent evil messengers of the twilight realm to our world of light, stealing the stars of Silverpelt one by one. Each Clan has had their light stolen from the StarClan warrior who protects their territory by these evil-doers.

"But once I awoke from this dream," Whitestar continued, "I heard the voice of StarClan speak to me. It was the voice of my father, Bravestar. He told me that the chosen warrior would come to me in the shape of a blue-eyed beast to protect the world of light and conquer the twilight."

Grayheart's eyes widened. How in StarClan's name was he supposed to save the world? He hadn't even technically stepped paw out of his Clan's territory.

"I know this sounds overwhelming," Whitestar mewed, "but you are the chosen one. I believe as your cat form, you had a triangle atop your head?"

Grayheart was speechless, and not only because he knew she couldn't understand him. He nodded solemnly.

"Then it is StarClan's will," Whitestar meowed. "I am sure that our warrior ancestors will use all the power they have left to guide you through your journey."

"What journey?" Grayheart barked.

"He wants to know what you mean by journey," Midnight meowed.

"Midnight here will assist you," Whitestar meowed simply. "She herself comes from the realm of twilight, but is not a follower of Nightstar." The Great Leader got to her paws so she could look more closely at Grayheart. "The fate of our world rests in your paws, Grayheart."

Grayheart started. How did she know his name?

"You are the blue-eyed beast. You must stop Nightstar from taking over our land."

Grayheart looked away. He couldn't bear taking in the purity of Whitestar's gaze. All of this was happening too fast. He wanted more than anything to return to ForestClan and even be an apprentice again. But he knew none of this would happen easily.

"The patrol is coming," Whitestar mewed suddenly. "You two must leave this place before they see you."

Midnight instantly hopped onto Grayheart's back. "We'll try our best," she meowed. 'Come on, wolfie.'

Grayheart held Whitestar's gaze for another moment before returning to the hole he had climbed in through. He squeezed himself out, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

'How interesting,' Midnight mewed.

Grayheart awakened from his thoughts and looked at her. They were standing once more atop the tree dome, Whitestar most likely directly below them. "I can't do this, Midnight."

'Sure you can,' the black she-cat meowed. 'You don't want to let the Great Leader down, do you?'

She was right. If he failed Whitestar, that meant he was failing every cat in the world, including Lionstar and Tigerstripe.

'I'll tell you what,' Midnight meowed, a hint of mischief in her voice. 'I'll help you out…on one condition.'

Grayheart rolled his eyes. "And that is?"

'I'm looking for something,' Midnight mewed, visible eye narrowed. 'Just like you.'

Grayheart paused. He didn't remember Whitestar saying anything about looking for something. "And what am I looking for?"

Midnight giggled. As if sending him telepathic signals, he suddenly heard the yowl of a familiar cat. "Blackpaw?" But when he turned around, no cat was there. He faced Midnight again and was startled that she had transformed into Lightpaw, the same cream-colored fur and crystal green eyes. "Lightpaw!" Grayheart barked, a whimper emerging from his throat. His heart ached as he remembered seeing the strange black creature dragging his two friends away.

'I'm sure you still want to find them, no?'

Grayheart growled. It was as if Lightpaw was speaking, but he still heard Midnight's voice. 'Well I'll help you out. Help me find what I'm looking for, and you can find your little friends.'

"Deal." Midnight returned to her normal form, licking her paw. "Just…tell me what to do."

Midnight's eye narrowed in a smirk. 'Good wolfie.' She got to her paws. 'I'll bring you back to where you first entered the twilight. There are a couple things I need in the world of light.'

Grayheart's eyes narrowed this time. "What could a shadow being need from the light?"

Midnight didn't say anything; she waved her tail back and forth until the crystal atop her forehead began sparkling. With a flick of her tail, Grayheart found himself painlessly being transformed into the tiny flecks of twilight around them. With a confused glance around him, he vanished into thin air.

* * *

The next thing he knew, Grayheart landed soundlessly on the other side of the wall of twilight, all the way across the Treebridge. He waited for Midnight to drop onto his back, but didn't feel the she-cat's presence.

"Midnight?"

'Hello, wolfie.'

Grayheart glanced down. Suddenly, startling Grayheart greatly, his own shadow slipped out from underneath him and formed the shape of a cat.

"You…you're my shadow?" Grayheart barked, astonished.

'I can't survive in the light like you disgusting creatures,' Midnight growled.

Grayheart showed his side teeth as he snarled at her, not appreciating her comment.

'Hey, I'm being nice to you,' she mewed. 'That's not something I usually do for strangers.'

Grayheart rolled his eyes. "Just tell me what you need. I'll see what I can do."

Midnight smirked. 'Whitestar knew your name because your Clan's medicine cat sent her a message through StarClan explaining you would be delivering a remedy.' She paused grandly. 'Well… I have a friend back in the twilight. He's in dire need of some medicine. Go get the remedy from your medicine cat to help him.'

Grayheart was shocked. "You want me to steal from my own Clan?"

'Oh, don't worry yourself over it,' Midnight chuckled. 'You still look like a beast, so they won't know it's you.'

Grayheart thought back his meeting with Whitestar. "I thought that remedy was for the Great Leader. She didn't seem as if she needed it."

'Don't you get it, mouse-brain?' Midnight hissed. 'Whitestar wasn't physically ill. It was the twilight that caused her to be ill. Cats and other animals inside the cloud of twilight… they don't know they're in the twilight. They are transformed into spirits but don't know that anything has happened to them.'

Grayheart paused. "Except me."

Midnight smirked again. 'You're the chosen warrior by StarClan. You are the blue-eyed beast.'

"But what about Whitestar?"

'She wasn't in the form of a spirit,' Midnight explained. 'The power of the twilight was sucking the light from her, and making her mentally ill. She has no power over such a strong force like the twilight.'

Grayheart felt incredibly sorry for her. He didn't know how Clearstream's remedy was supposed to help her, but apparently Whitestar knew it would.

'Come on, wolfie,' Midnight mewed, slipping back underneath him and becoming his shadow. 'I need that remedy!' Grayheart noticed that even though she wasn't on his back, it still seemed as if she were from his shadow.

Reluctantly, Grayheart padded forward. Every living thing in the forest ducked in cover, reminding Grayheart that he was no longer a cat of the forest. He prayed to StarClan that he wouldn't run into a ForestClan patrol while sneaking into the territory.

He eventually made his way around the outside of the camp. Tigerstripe had gotten a team together to rebuild the camp walls and he could see Lionstar talking to Leaftail near the nursery. A feeling of homesickness washed over Grayheart; he knew he couldn't set foot in the camp looking like this. He would have to sneak inside the medicine cat den through the back and hope Clearstream wasn't there to spot him.

Midnight suddenly formed in front of him, black body translucent and colorless. He watched as she padded soundlessly toward the edge of the camp.

"I take it they can't see you?" Grayheart whispered.

Midnight responded with a flick of her tail. She peered around the edge and noticed that the den was empty. 'The medicine cat isn't there.'

Grayheart began digging at the edge of the camp, his consciousness screaming at him for destroying the territory of his own Clan. _StarClan, forgive me…_

Once he dug a hole deep enough for him to squeeze through, he wiggled his way inside the den. He found that he barely fit, seeing as he was five times the size of a normal cat. He wondered what would happen if Clearstream happened to walk inside, or even any cat walk past the den.

'Hurry up!' Midnight hissed from below him.

Grayheart sniffed around, sensitive nose picking up a strong scent of strange herbs. He shuffled his paws around until he found a small leaf folded over, covering a kind of herb he had never seen before.

'That's it. Grab it and get out of here before any cat sees you.'

Resignedly, Grayheart snatched up the leaf packet in his jaws and squeezed his way back out of the camp. He dropped the herbs and looked down at his shadow. "Midnight—"

'Don't say anything now!' Midnight hissed. 'Your Clanmates will hear you!'

"What was that?"

Grayheart internally groaned when he heard Whitefire's voice.

"I heard a bark!"

"Is there a dog around here?"

"Strange things have been coming out of our forest lately…"

'Come on, go back to the twilight!' Midnight mewed urgently.

Grayheart gathered up the packet again and galloped off before any cat could sniff him out. He didn't stop running until he had crossed the Treebridge once more. Finally he stopped, panting. He dropped the packet. "Why are we going back to the twilight?"

'You want to save your friends, don't you?' Midnight asked.

"They're in the twilight?"

'That's where that shadow beast took them.'

Grayheart sighed. "Last time, that monster pulled me through. How do you expect me to get through this time?"

Midnight formed in front of him. 'You need the help of somebody from the twilight to get through. What do you think I am, a squirrel?'

Grayheart rolled his eyes. "Just pull me through."

"Wait…"

Grayheart halted. "Who said that?"

He glanced around. The voice was female, but certainly not Midnight's. When Midnight spoke there was a kind of echo, as if she was only in her head.

"The hero of Clan of Silverpelt…"

Grayheart finally found, among the trees, a small pond with a stream leading away from it. A miniature waterfall ran down into the pond, a wall of boulders edging a ravine behind it. A strange, hazy light glowed above the surface of the flickering water.

Slowly and hesitantly, Grayheart padded over to the pond. 'What are you doing?' Midnight mewed. 'Don't you want to find your friends?'

"You mean help you find what you're looking for?" Grayheart muttered with a growl. Midnight didn't respond as he stood at the edge of the pond.

Suddenly, a red and black swirling cloud appeared above Grayheart's head with a whooshing sound. Grayheart could feel the tension as Midnight's claws dug into his fur.

"Beware…" the strange voice meowed. "A monster of the shadows approaches…"

A hole opened up in the middle of the cloud and a creature similar to the one that captured Grayheart dropped down from it. Grayheart instantly crouched on his haunches, growling at the creature.

'A shadow being?' Midnight growled. 'In the light realm?'

As the creature lumbered over to where Grayheart was standing, he backed away. "Should I kill it?"

'Yes!' Midnight hissed simply.

Grayheart launched himself at the shadow being. He grappled onto the monster's chest and it shrieked in pain. He dug his claws into its strange, scaly skin and bit at its torso, continuously striking it with sharp fangs and claws. Eventually, the beast hollered in pain and dropped to the ground, disintegrating into the same flecks of twilight as the twilit bird. It evaporated into the portal, and the red swirls of cloud turned blue.

With a bright flash that made Midnight dig her claws in even more, the haze of light grew and formed the shape of a giant cat. It looked as if pure light had taken the shape of a warrior.

"O great hero of StarClan," a mysterious voice meowed. "I am the StarClan warrior spirit of light that protects the territory of ForestClan, Foreststar. The monster you just destroyed was a twilit beast that had come to steal my power of light."

"Why?" Grayheart asked.

"It was seeking to spread the twilight. The wicked leader of all twilight, Nightstar, sends these beasts to all parts of the Clans' territory to spread his realm of twilight. He is a ruthless leader, bloodthirsty and constantly in need of more power. Thanks to you, the chosen hero of StarClan, you have protected your Clan's territory and defeated the monster, saving the light in this area."

Grayheart sat a little taller. He was already fulfilling part of the destiny StarClan had set out for him.

"Unfortunately there are a great many of Clans that have lost the light in their territory, and cannot claim it back once again without the help of the chosen warrior," Foreststar meowed. "It is your destiny to return the light to all the Clans' StarClan protectors.

"The twilit beasts take the light from the StarClan light spirits and scatter it throughout the territory. They conceal the light in what are called Stars of Twilight, injected into shadow beings called twilight insects. They are larger than life, and many of them live to haunt the Clans' territories. You must collect all the Stars of Twilight and restore light to the land of the Clans."

Grayheart glanced down. _Easier said than done._

"Go now," Foreststar purred. "The warrior light spirit of the Healing Spring is waiting for you."

Grayheart nodded wordlessly, turning around. He was lost in thought, unable to think of anything but the task laid out before him.

Suddenly, Midnight hopped off of Grayheart's back. She dashed across and fluidly stepped through the wall of twilight. Grayheart waited until all of a sudden, a giant purple paw emerged from the wall. His eyes widened as the paw wrapped around him and yanked him through.

Once on the other side, Grayheart noticed that Midnight had changed from being a shadow into a normal-looking kitten. In a single moment, with a swift flash, she was gone and on top of Grayheart once more. 'Come on, wolfie. There's only one way to go now.'

Grayheart didn't say anything. He sniffed around before padding forward. He had never truly been in this part of the forest, and he was somewhat irked that it was covered with this damp, dull-looking eternal twilight. He wasn't about to tell Midnight this, who seemed to enjoy it greatly.

'So…' Midnight mewed. 'You're not even going to ask what I'm looking for?'

Grayheart rolled his eyes as he padded along. "Do tell."

'The thing on my head… it's called a Twilight Crystal. My Clan in the twilight realm discovered a cave of the purple crystal just before I—' She stopped herself.

"Just before you what?"

Midnight paused for a brief moment. 'This giant crystal gave us a connection to the realm of light,' she explained, ignoring Grayheart's question. 'Nightstar used the Twilight Crystal to make it to the light realm, then destroyed it so that no creature could get out or in without his permission.'

"So how do you and I get in and out?"

But Midnight once more didn't answer his question. 'He split it into four pieces, once of which I currently have.'

"As I've noticed."

There was another pause, once filled with silent understanding. Finally, Midnight patted his back again. 'Well, gee yup, wolfie. Do you hear that? That's the lamentation of the StarClan spirit.'

When Grayheart tuned his ears in, he heard a pitiful mewling coming from further away in the twilit forest. He picked up a quicker pace, trotting through the dark trees until he ran across a second pond, one that was much smaller with dark, black water. A hazy light flickered above the surface, but it didn't grow to become a StarClan warrior like Foreststar.

"The blue-eyed beast chosen by StarClan…" another mysterious voice mewed. Grayheart sat down at the edge of the pond, listening intently. "I am an ancient medicine cat of ForestClan, Sagewhisker. A shadow being stole my light and I can no longer protect the Healing Spring from the eternal twilight."

'Yeah, we got that,' Midnight mewed.

Grayheart cast her an irritated look.

"Find my ten Stars of Twilight in this area, and give the gift of light back to the Healing Spring," Sagewhisker meowed, voice strained from her lack of power.

Grayheart nodded, getting to his paws again. "If StarClan has lain this destiny out for me, I will do whatever I can."

Midnight leaned down and whispered into his ear, 'Just don't forget my Twilight Crystal.'

**A/N: Well that's one eventful chapter...**


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! :)**

_"There's too much happening right now,"_ Grayheart muttered as he padded along through the grass of the forest.

'What do you mean?' Midnight asked. She was lying casually on his back as he padded along, bathing her side quietly.

"I have to save the forest and Whitestar by finding these Stars of Twilight," Grayheart explained with a flick of his bushy tail, "then I have to find your Twilight Crystal, and I have no idea what that will entail. And on top of all that, I have to find Lightpaw and Blackpaw! I would never forgive myself if I let them down…"

Midnight rolled her visible eye. 'You worry too much. I'm sure your friends are still alive.'

Grayheart didn't respond. Even if he wanted to, he was cut off by a strange buzzing noise.

Midnight giggled. 'And there's your first insect. Go, wolfie, go!'

Grayheart sniffed around urgently. He hadn't seen the insect. All he heard was a gentle buzzing. Was it possible that this insect was invisible to his eye since he wasn't a shadow being? He heard the buzzing again and crouched low, baring his teeth in a growl.

With a loud spark, a giant spider-like insect crawled through the grass and toward him. He jumped, shocked at the bug's sudden appearance. It crept out from behind a tall tree, scampering around through the dirt.

Grayheart stood staring for a moment. This was one of the largest bugs he'd ever seen! It was practically the size of a large cat. He silently thanked StarClan that he was much larger than a cat now.

"Do I just kill it?" he barked.

'I dunno,' Midnight mewed, a hint of amusement in her voice. 'I guess you'll have to try.'

Without another word, Grayheart pounced at the bug. It let out a shriek before falling on his back, legs curling inward as if it were shriveling up like a dead leaf. Just like all the other twilit monsters, the insect puffed into millions of flecks, leaving a single ball of light behind.

Grayheart had to squint in order to see anything. The ball was so bright that it seemed every living thing in the forest wanted to shy away from it. Even Midnight jumped down off of Grayheart's back to hide behind him. Hesitantly, Grayheart stepped forward. He felt a slight humming through the ground, and the vibrations curled up his paws and through his whole body. He swallowed as he neared the light.

"This must be a Star…" he mumbled to himself.

'It's the spirit of a StarClan warrior, lost in the eternal twilight.'

Grayheart glanced back at Midnight, who was sitting far away from the star. She had a look of calm thoughtfulness about her, and Grayheart suddenly felt very respectful of this strange cat.

"What do I do with it?" he asked.

'I'll hold onto it for you,' Midnight meowed. 'Just like the herbs.'

Grayheart noticed that the herbs he had collected for Midnight had vanished. "Where did they go?"

'I'm holding onto them,' Midnight repeated. 'You obviously can't carry everything yourself, mouse-brain.' As if in demonstration, Midnight trotted up to the shining Star of Twilight. She flicked the tip of her tail, and the brightness suddenly disappeared, a few white specks of twilight filling its place.

"They're white," Grayheart observed.

'That's because the Star isn't part of the twilight,' Midnight explained. 'It's purely a light being, and therefore doesn't mix well with the rest of the twilight. But don't worry; just ask me for it and I can make it appear.'

Grayheart nodded, thankful for her ability to hold onto them for him. He hadn't had the slightest idea how to carry a StarClan spirit.

Midnight hopped onto his back again. 'Come on, wolfie. Let's get a move on. Like you said, we have a lot to do.'

Obediently, Grayheart padded onward. They walked in silence, Grayheart killing twilit insects and Midnight capturing the Stars. As he walked past a clump of boulders, he tasted a strong scent of fox.

"Midnight," he barked, "Whitestar said that all cats turn into spirits in the eternal twilight. What about other animals?"

'If it isn't prey, it's a spirit,' Midnight meowed simply.

Grayheart glanced around, ready to see a fox jump out of nowhere. For the first time, he was truly happy to be in the shape of a beast. He could scare off any fox now without any help of his Clanmates.

"What about prey?" Grayheart asked curiously.

'They just become twilit creatures, don't they?' Midnight giggled suddenly. 'But you can't eat them, since they become part of the twilight.'

Grayheart's eyes widened. "Then what am I supposed to eat in the twilight?"

'That's the question, isn't it?'

Grayheart swallowed, suddenly feeling a tad hungry. _Oh, StarClan._ He padded forward, heading down a steep cliff and into a round ravine. He tasted the air with a sniff, smelling the distinct scent of twilit creatures. But the creatures that crawled out of the tree holes and the burrows were not big and ferocious like the other shadow beings. They were about the size of the insects, black with slimy, tentacle-like legs. They had beady red eyes that blinked up from the tops of their flat heads.

"What in StarClan's name is that?" Grayheart barked.

'A twilit squirrel, I believe,' Midnight giggled.

Grayheart sighed, but his stomach growled hungrily. He wasn't exactly looking forward to tasting shadow being.

But just as soon as he crouched down to kill it, he remembered Midnight's words. The creature would turn into twilight just as soon as he killed it. He straightened again, continuing onward.

Unfortunately, he couldn't go very far.

Right before him, a strange purple fog filled the bottom of the ravine. His ears perked up in confusion and Midnight giggled. 'Come on, wolfie. You can find a way to get around, can't you?'

Grayheart glanced up at her before hopping up to a high boulder. On top, he found a twilit insect and killed it swiftly. Once Midnight captured the Star, he jumped from the boulder to a low branch hanging from a nearby tree. He continued this process until he made it to the other side of the ravine, pawing his way upward. He blinked at the scene before him, tail wagging in awe. He had never been to this part of the forest before.

A slanted, enormous oak tree was leaning out over a cliff, but it seemed sturdy enough not to collapse. Many of the branches were reaching out toward other trees, lining the edge of the cliff.

Something bright and shimmering caught Grayheart's eye. In the dim light if the eternal twilight, he wasn't expecting such a bright shine.

'Ugh, what is _that_?' Midnight hissed.

Grayheart padded forward quietly. Once he got closer to the giant oak tree, he saw the figure more clearly. It resembled him exactly, a panting wolf. But this wolf had rays of light for fur and two piercing red eyes. Grayheart sat down before the wolf. "Hello?"

Without a word, the wolf suddenly transformed into a cat with short brown fur. A darker brown triangle was atop his forehead. "Greetings."

"Who are you?" Grayheart barked.

"I am a warrior of past, and I see myself in you," the cat meowed calmly. "I have been waiting for you, Grayheart."

Grayheart narrowed his eyes. "Do you know Whitestar?" he asked.

"I knew her personally," the cat meowed. "I have information to pass on to you."

Grayheart nodded.

'Can we trust him?' Midnight whispered.

Grayheart flicked his tail. He knew the cat couldn't hear her.

"You are looking for something for your friend," the cat meowed.

Midnight's claws dug into Grayheart's fur.

"They are called the Twilight Crystals," the cat explained. "They once belonged to the sacred TwilightClan that resides in the realm of twilight. It was once one full crystal, but Nightstar broke it into four pieces to stop the true leader of TwilightClan from getting to it."

"Who is the true leader of TwilightClan?" Grayheart asked.

"A graceful and majestic cat who has disappeared ever since Nightstar took over," the cat explained. "I will have you know that the cats of TwilightClan and the whole twilight realm are nothing like the cats of the light realm. They are giant jungle cats that you have never seen before. I warn you if you ever encounter Nightstar, beware. He is a powerful impersonator of the leader of TwilightClan and you must go through serious training in order to defeat him."

Grayheart glanced at Midnight. "I've been told that my mission is to save the forest from the spread of twilight, and the other Clans. Are you telling me that I also have to defeat Nightstar and save the twilight realm?"

"If you do not defeat Nightstar, he will continue trying to spread twilight into the realm of light," the cat meowed. "It is your duty to find the true leader of TwilightClan and save the realms of light and twilight. Remember, Grayheart: if you ever need me, or a messenger from TwilightClan, howl at a Howling Stone."

Before Grayheart could say anything else, the cat dashed away and off the edge of the cliff.

"What in StarClan—hey!" Grayheart galloped over to where the cat had disappeared. But when he looked over the edge, it was as if the cat had never existed.

"Midnight, you're from the twilight," Grayheart barked. "Who is the real leader?"

Midnight yawned. 'Don't ask me,' she mewed. 'I never paid attention to the rules of TwilightClan. Our realm of twilight is rather different from the light world. TwilightClan is the only Clan, where a large family of related cats rules over the entire realm. There are many free-roaming cats that aren't a part of the Clan.'

"Hmm," Grayheart muttered to himself. He was in deep thought. "Then why are we trying to get the Twilight Crystal if it belongs to TwilightClan? What does the crystal do?"

Midnight remained silent. She eventually sighed, ignoring his question all together. 'Come on, wolfie. There's no time to waste.'

Grayheart didn't bother asking again. He glanced up at the tilted tree. "Am I supposed to go up there?"

'Let's find out, shall we?' Midnight mewed.

Grayheart got to his paws and galloped up to the tree. It was almost as enormous as the tree he had found Whitestar in, but it was clearly an oak. He pawed his way up the trunk, careful not to press too much weight against it. Once he learned that there was nothing that could uproot this tree, he walked normally, keeping his senses alert.

Something caught his attention on one of the thick branches. He had only two more insects left to kill, and he heard the buzzing of two bee-like wings. But something else tinged the scent of the twilit insects. A strange smell like a fox-scent mixed with something else.

Sure enough, the blurry shape of a fox kit crouched behind a bundle of leaves, shivering in fright. It wasn't a dull red color with brown flecks like the foxes Grayheart had been used to seeing. It was merely an outline of blue, like the lining was there but the rest of the animal was not. Two flashes of twilit insects were skittering around before it.

"That fox," Grayheart muttered. "It's…a spirit."

'And it can't see you,' Midnight added. 'So don't go trying to talk to it.'

Grayheart swiftly killed off the last of the insects and Midnight captured the Stars of Twilight. He glanced over at the fox, which was approaching from the confines of the leaves. "What…they just died?" it barked like a lost kitten. Grayheart wanted to speak to it, recognizing it as one of the kits that belonged to the she-fox. But he knew nothing he said would be heard.

He glanced up at Midnight. "That's all of them."

'Let's go back to the healing spring,' she mewed.

* * *

Once he made it back to the healing spring, all the Stars of Twilight appeared in front of his nose. Midnight hopped off of his back, jumping behind him to shield herself from the intense light.

The Stars blinked in unison before coming together to form one giant ball of swirling light. Like a newly risen sun, the light spread over the entirety of the forest.

Grayheart blinked. Starting from the gentle water of the spring, color started returning to the world around him. It seeped through the ground, shoving away the dull gray that once blanketed it. The sky too lost its shroud of yellowish-gray color, being replaced by the pale blue atmosphere Grayheart was so used to. The black flecks of twilight disappeared and the Stars as well.

"Brave warrior of ForestClan."

Grayheart glanced over at the healing spring. A golden cat similar to the one by the pond in ForestClan territory was seated atop the shimmering surface of the water, light emanating from its body.

"You have captured all the Stars of Twilight and restored light to this area," the cat meowed. "I am Sagewhisker, a medicine cat of StarClan."

Grayheart nodded.

"You still have a long journey ahead of you, young warrior," Sagewhisker meowed. "Nightstar is still sending shadow beings to the various StarClan warriors that protect the world of light. You must stop him at all costs. Take a look at your form."

Grayheart glanced down. To his surprise, his paws had shrunken down to normal size. He stretched in the warm sun, finally glad to be cat again. But one thing shocked him greatly: his fur was no longer gray. It was brown.

"I…I'm brown," he meowed in awe. "How…?"

"You bear the pelt of the legendary warrior of generations past," Sagewhisker explained. "He once saved this same forest from destruction by the wicked Blackstar."

Grayheart glanced around at his fur, incredibly taken off guard. "Why…why am I like this?"

"You have been chosen from StarClan," Sagewhisker meowed. "You were sent to the world, your destiny lain out for you. From birth, you were the cat the whole of StarClan knew would save the realm of light."

Grayheart gulped. "But…why me?"

"StarClan has chosen it," Sagewhisker meowed simply. "Now go fulfill your destiny. There is much to be done. Good luck." Without another word, the StarClan medicine cat disappeared.

Grayheart looked up, expecting to find Midnight. However, the black she-cat was nowhere to be found. He remembered what it was like outside of the twilight: Midnight couldn't be around in such intense light.

"Midnight," Grayheart meowed. His shadow stirred slightly, and then took the form of Midnight in front of him.

'Oh good, the light is gone,' the she-cat growled. Even when Grayheart was a cat, she was rather puny. 'Well now. You restored light to your precious little forest. Good for you. Just don't forget my end of the deal.'

Grayheart nodded. "May I eat first?"

Midnight didn't say anything. She simply reverted back to his shadow.

Grayheart sighed to himself. He had been looking forward to going back to the ForestClan camp and seeing all his Clanmates again, but he realized that now none of them would recognize him. They would smell his familiar scent, but assume it was a trick of their senses since he looked nothing like the Grayheart they knew. He also reminded himself about Lightpaw and Blackpaw, and how they were still lost somewhere in the twilight, most likely trying to find their way back home.

A shuffle in the undergrowth caught Grayheart's immediate attention. He spun around, seeing a squirrel dash under the cover of a nettle bush. Crouching low, Grayheart crept forward. He had truly missed being a cat and took great delight in killing the prey under his light paws. He dug in ravenously, filling his empty stomach. Once he was finished his meal, he buried the remains beneath the nettle bush.

Grayheart stretched underneath the bright sun. He wanted to completely forget about all the recent events and go back to normal Clan life, but he knew he had a job to do.

'Go back to the tree where you saw the fox,' the voice of Midnight mewed. 'I sensed a strong feeling of the TwilightClan magic coming from around there.'

Grayheart nodded and galloped onward. He dashed through the now familiar forest, admiring how green and teeming with life it truly was. He listened to the birds calling to each other on the high tree branches, and the rabbit disappearing into their burrows beneath bushes.

'Don't get too caught up in yourself,' Midnight growled from below. 'Stay focused.'

When Grayheart reached the deep ravine, he noticed that the strange purple fog was still filling the chasm. _Strange. I thought that was only a twilight thing…_ He bounded down the rocky slope, reaching the bottom.

Suddenly, a yelp sounded from behind him. He spun around to see the same fox kit padding toward him timidly.

"My momma," it yelped, sounding young and helpless. "She's trapped."

Grayheart glanced across the fog and back at the fox. "Where?"

"The oak tree along the cliff," the fox barked. "Please. Help me save her!"

Grayheart groaned inwardly. He didn't want to add something onto his growing list of things to do before saving the entire world of light. "Well, only since I'm already headed there."

"Yes! Thank you!" the fox yipped, jumping up and down. "My name is Kiri."

Grayheart walked forward. "Grayheart."

Kiri dashed along behind him, following him through the fog. Grayheart forgot he was there occasionally, since he was so small and young. But he was always reminded whenever the kit barked with its high-pitched voice.

"So are you apart of that Clan?" Kiri asked.

"Yep," Grayheart meowed, eventually making it to the top of the gorge.

"That's cool," Kiri barked. "I always knew us foxes would get along with the wild cats."

Grayheart didn't say anything else to the kit; he padded slowly up to the base of the tree. In the light he could see that instead of branching off over a cliff with nothing surrounding it, the branches intertwined with a forest of trees along the base of the cliff.

"Oh, wow," Grayheart muttered to himself. "The forest just keeps going on, doesn't it?"

Kiri padded up beside him. "Yeah," he purred. "But that part of the forest is incredibly dangerous. My momma is always telling me not to go down the cliff. Scary animals hunt in those woods. All my brothers and sisters wanted to protect my momma from the scary bugs, so they dashed off into that forest. Momma went to go and save them, but hasn't returned. I'm so scared that she's lost or…" He trailed off, deciding not to finish his sentence.

Grayheart nodded in understanding. "We'll find your mother," he meowed. "I'm looking for something in those woods too."

Kiri gave him a horrified look. "But…what would you possibly need in there?" he yelped. "It's so dark and scary!"

Grayheart chuckled to himself. "Do you want me to go by myself?"

The look of horror immediately vanished from Kiri's eyes. "No. I need to help save my momma and siblings. As long as you're with me, I won't be scared."

Grayheart nodded, a gentle purr rising from his throat. He admired this fox-kit's courage to save his family. Just like he had the courage to save Lightpaw and Blackpaw, and the rest of the light realm.


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I had to figure out how I wanted to write the Forest Temple.**

_The forest was almost exactly as_ Kiri had described it. Even though Grayheart had restored the light to the area, barely any sun broke through the canopy. The whole forest floor was shrouded in shadow, and StarClan only knew what lurked in the darkness.

A thin, misty fog blocked most of Grayheart's vision. He crept through the dark trees, keeping low and his senses alert. Kiri mirrored his every move, staying close to his side.

Suddenly, Kiri's tail flicked. "There! I smell Geru!"

"Geru?" Grayheart questioned, frustrated that Kiri had blown their silent cover.

"My brother," Kiri explained. "I smell him! He's afraid. We have to help him!"

Grayheart nodded. He tasted the air, noticing that his sense of smell wasn't quite as toned as it had been when he was a wolf. He opened his mouth and eventually caught the smell of fear-scent on a young fox. "Let's go." He dashed forward, Kiri close behind him.

Suddenly, Grayheart paused. "Listen to that." There was a growling noise, not one of a cat. Grayheart winced, realized exactly what the sound belonged to.

Kiri's eyes widened. "A badger!" The two of them dashed down a hill and into a small clearing. Behind a boulder, a badger was hissing and growling at a young fox kit, snapping its teeth and slashing its claws.

Without hesitation, Grayheart launched for the badger. A few moments later, Kiri was seen directing Geru away from the scene. Grayheart clawed at the badger's eyes and muzzle, trying to blind it and knock out its senses. The badger yowled in pain, trying to shake the warrior off. Eventually Grayheart had done enough and the badger pried him off, lumbering away into the darkness.

"Kiri?"

"Over here!"

Grayheart followed the sound of Kiri's voice. As Grayheart made his way over, his shadow appeared beside him in the form of Midnight.

'What do you think you're doing?' she hissed. 'The Crystal! Come on, we don't have time to help these foxes.'

"Hush up," Grayheart snapped. "I'll get your Crystal."

"Thank you!" Kiri yelped as Grayheart neared. "But we still have a lot more others to find."

"Let's get a move on then," Grayheart meowed.

As he padded along, he noticed that the other two foxes, Kiri and Geru, were trailing behind him. He didn't exactly mind, but he wondered why he even said yes to the poor fox in the first place.

It was long before they found another fox cuddled in the shelter of a blackberry bush. It took Kiri and Geru multiple tries to coax him out from underneath the soft leaves. "It's okay, Riko, really!" His brothers cajoled gently. "The insects are gone! I promise!"

The fourth fox kit was high up in a tree. Grayheart had to claw his way up the trunk and jump from branch to branch in order to reach him. "What's your name?"

"Hyli…" the poor fox whimpered.

"Everything's okay, Hyli," Grayheart muttered, thinking to himself how odd these foxes' names were. "Your brothers are on the forest floor down there, waiting for you. I'm going to help you find your mother."

He brought Hyli down to the ground, and dashed along. "How many more of these foxes are we going to have to find?" he asked.

"We have one sister," Riko yelped.

Grayheart paused and tasted the air. He could smell the scent of a female fox, but it was very stale and he could tell that she had not been there in quite some time. "Do you have any idea where she could be?"

The foxes looked down.

Grayheart sighed. He continued through the damp woods, avoiding dark areas and always staying within sight of the foxes.

Midnight popped up beside him while the foxes were tussling playfully near the base of a tree. 'Is this really necessary?'

"I know you may not have a clue what true kindness is, but I don't care what you say," Grayheart retorted. "I'm going to help these kits." Midnight was silent. "Besides. Maybe they can help us."

Midnight rolled her eye. 'How could they possibly do that?' she hissed. But Grayheart didn't have time to say anything before Kiri trotted over and she disappeared into his shadow.

"Grayheart…you must be a strong warrior from your Clan," he barked quietly.

Grayheart eyed him suspiciously. "Yes…"

"That means you can hunt, right?"

Grayheart licked his shoulder modestly. "I suppose."

"Our mother hasn't taught us how to hunt yet," Kiri yelped. "And me and my brothers are very hungry…"

Grayheart sighed to himself. "Beggars can't be choosers, you know," he reminded. "Whatever I catch, you're going to eat."

Kiri nodded enthusiastically, tongue lolling to the side of his mouth.

Grayheart stayed within the kits' general area, catching various pieces of fresh-kill. He caught and killed a rat, but it looked weak and diseased, so he buried it instead. Once he had enough fresh-kill for all five of them, he brought everything back and displayed them to the foxes.

"Oh, wow! Thanks!" Hyli chirped. The foxes dug in as Grayheart pulled a squirrel away for himself. He curled up beside a nettle bush and ate quietly.

Midnight rolled up beside him once more. Grayheart glanced at her. "Can't you eat?"

'I choose not to indulge myself in the food of light beings,' she mewed defiantly.

Grayheart swallowed a bite. "How would eat light beings anyway?"

Midnight waved her tail back and forth. 'If I kill a light being, it becomes a shadow being in the light realm. Then I can eat it.'

Grayheart shook his head. The logic of the two realms confused him greatly, and he had too much on his mind to worry about it.

"There!" Kiri shouted suddenly. Grayheart's ears perked up and he glanced over at the foxes. Kiri was standing ahead of all the others, alert as if he had seen something in the distance.

"What is it?" Grayheart demanded, trotting over to him.

"I heard my sister's cry!" He paused. "There it is again! Can't you hear it?"

Grayheart tuned his senses into his hearing. Sure enough, he heard the squeal of a distant female fox. "Come on, let's go!"

The five of them dashed through the forest until they reached a murky clearing. A strange stench clogged Grayheart's senses, making him hiss in distaste. "What in StarClan's name _is_ that?"

"The Twolegs!" Geru yowled, voice distressed.

Grayheart glanced up. Two enormous Twolegs were standing on the other side of the clearing, their backs facing them.

"That smell!" Riko whispered. "Look at what they have in their paws!"

Grayheart could barely see the end of a long, narrow, gray tube. It had a wooden end, which was in the paws of a Twoleg. "What is that?"

Suddenly, a Twoleg turned around. It nudged the other one, and they both held up the tubes.

"Run!" Grayheart yowled, dashing to the side. Suddenly, a loud bang filled the air, making Grayheart's fur stand on end. Smoke seemed to be coming from the narrow tube, and he knew the sound came from the strange Twoleg contraption. As he looked around, none of the other foxes seemed to be hurt, but he could smell the tangy scent of blood in the air.

"No!" Kiri cried. Grayheart dashed over to where he was and saw the horrible scene before him. Kiri and his brothers were crouched over a lone she-fox who was whimpering quietly. Her foot was bleeding.

A growl rising in his throat, Grayheart turned to the Twolegs. They were watching the animals curiously. Grayheart hissed and lunged for the nearest one. He let out a yowl of pain and shook Grayheart off of his paw. Grayheart hit the ground with a thud and the Twolegs dashed away, leaving their contraptions behind.

Grayheart turned to the foxes. "Is she alive?"

"Yes," Geru whimpered.

Grayheart padded over to the wounded kit. Her green eyes were darting from side to side as she lay there, panting.

Suddenly, Grayheart saw a flicker behind him. He turned his head to see Midnight sitting beside one of the contraptions. She flicked her tail and a mound appeared in front of her. It looked like the flecks from the twilight, but it eventually formed into a small leaf packet.

Grayheart nodded in understanding as Midnight disappeared again. _Thank you_, he thought. He turned back to the foxes. "Wait right here." He padded over to where Midnight had left the packet and prodded it open. He knew that Whitestar no longer truly needed the herbs, so he brought them over to the she-fox.

"I'm no medicine cat," he muttered as he pawed the herbs apart gently, "but I know how to clean a wound." He sat down and set to work, licking the blood away from the wound in the she-fox's hind leg. Once most of the blood was cleared away from her orange fur, Grayheart peered at the injury. To his shock, he saw what looked like a tiny pebble embedded in the kit's skin. He clawed at it gently but heard a yelp of pain from the fox.

"Calm her down," Grayheart said to the others. "I can probably get this out if she stays still."

Kiri nodded and they rushed over to console their sister. Once she was calmer, Grayheart dug a claw underneath the pebble. He lifted it away, watching it roll to the ground. The fox yelped in pain, but eventually took deep breaths to calm herself down.

"It's okay," Grayheart mewed. "You're doing great."

He licked the wound a few more times and glanced at the array of herbs. _Oh, StarClan, help me…_ He picked a random herb that was frayed-looking and yellow. He chewed it in his mouth quietly before spitting it onto the wound. The fox struggled slightly, but then relaxed once more.

"How does that feel?" Grayheart asked.

"Better," the fox croaked.

Grayheart nodded. "You'll probably need to see a medicine cat," he meowed. Now that the Clans were at peace with the foxes, it would be a lot easier. "But I'm sure your mother will know what to do."

"We have to find her," Riko barked. "But we can't just leave our sister behind."

"I'll stay with her," Hyli volunteered. "You go on and find Momma."

Grayheart nodded. "If those nasty Twolegs come back, just bark and growl at them," he recommended. "I'm sure they'll go away."

Hyli nodded and sat down beside his sister.

Grayheart, Kiri, Geru, and Riko dashed off through the forest. "What was your mother doing in this part of the forest again?" Grayheart asked.

"She went to save my brothers and sister," Kiri muttered. He sent Geru and Riko a nasty look. "You shouldn't have run off in the first place!"

"Don't argue now," Grayheart advised. "That'll get us nowhere."

Kiri opened his jaws to respond, but a loud shriek of rage sounded from somewhere in the woods. "This way!" Grayheart meowed, dashed over various fallen tree trunks and making his way through the undergrowth. They crossed a light stream, not stopping for a quick drink.

"That sounds like Momma!" Riko yelped in joy. They heard the shriek again, and his joy faded. "She doesn't sound like herself."

"Maybe the Twolegs got her," Geru muttered.

It wasn't long before the four of them reached an enormous boulder right in the middle of a clearing. They could all smell a strong fear-scent coating a grown female fox.

Kiri stepped forward, trembling with fright. "Momma?"

"Wait," Grayheart whispered.

The sound of slow panting came from behind the enormous boulder. "That's not Momma," Geru said, shaking his head.

"Get back," Grayheart hissed, stepping in front of Kiri.

They heard a loud screech as a large maroon she-fox emerged from behind the boulder. Her eyes were glazed orange and a white foam was dribbling from her mouth.

"Momma!" Kiri yelped, cowering in fear of his own kin.

"Who are you?" the she-fox hissed, voice coated with anger and a strange sense of something else. "Get out of my territory!"

Grayheart glanced at the fox's head. He noticed that it was the same she-fox as before, but there was something else atop her head, covering her blind eyes.

"Momma, it's us!" Geru barked. "Your—"

"Shush!" Grayheart hissed. "She doesn't recognize you!"

"I said get OUT!" The fox lunged blindly for the group of foxes.

Grayheart pushed the kits aside and lunged for the fox. He grappled at her face, then noticed what was covering her eyes. It was a crystal that was remarkably similar to the one Midnight had.

'The Twilight Crystal!' he heard Midnight yowl. 'Get it, now!'

"I'm a little busy!" Grayheart hissed as he clawed at the fox's face. The fox tossed him away, shaking her head violently.

Grayheart landed with a thud, shaking himself and getting to his paws. "You don't recognize me?" he provoked, tail waving back and forth and ears pressed to his head. "I'm the one who did that to your eyes!"

The fox turned her head in understanding. "YOU!" She galloped full-speed for Grayheart and he bared himself, watching her intently. Just as soon as she pounced at him, he dodged away. The fox crashed headlong into the tree behind him, whining in pain. The crystal became loose on her head, but it still seemed to be holding on, as if it were a living being.

"Close," Grayheart muttered to himself. He backed up toward the boulder. "Come on!" he yowled as the fox regained her composure.

"Mouse-dung!" she hissed furiously. "How dare you?!" She crept over to him, not daring do the same thing and end up hurt again.

Grayheart crouched low, ready to pounce. Once the fox was close enough, he lunged forward to her head, biting at her hears and clawing at her nose.

"Momma!" he heard the foxes yowl from the side. Thankfully, they didn't move.

The she-fox screeched in pain, shaking her head violently. Grayheart pawed at the crystal atop her head. "Come on, come on…" Eventually he noticed that the crystal had dug its way under the fox's fur and skin as if it were controlling it. "What the…" The fox lurched suddenly and Grayheart thrown off.

"I know what you want!" she barked angrily. "You want _it_! Well you'll never get it! It's MINE!" She swiped at Grayheart, but he dodged it expertly.

With a caterwaul of determination, Grayheart jumped and landed on the fox's back. He dug his claws into her fur so she couldn't shake him off. With a grunt, he nudged the crystal with his head, pushing with all his might. Eventually, it became loose and toppled to the ground, leaving an open wound on the back of the fox's neck. Suddenly, she stopped struggling and fainted to the ground.

Grayheart hopped off and padded over to the crystal. It had been glowing before, but now it was dimming in light. Midnight appeared beside him and stepped over to it.

'That's what the Twilight Crystal does,' she mewed quietly. 'It takes over the minds of anyone who has it. If they let it gets inside them it can control them and turn them into selfish, greedy monsters.'

Grayheart sighed to himself, weary from the battle. Midnight flicked her tail and the crystal disappeared.

'Two more to go,' she meowed.

Grayheart turned back to the foxes. The kits were already crowded around their mother, licking her wound.

"Will she be okay?" Kiri asked quietly.

"I think so," Grayheart meowed. "StarClan will be with her."

Kiri looked at him in confusion, but he didn't bother explaining. He padded over to the she-fox, who was now conscious and panting heavily.

"Oh, my kits. Oh, my beautiful kits!" She tried to get up and smother them with licks, but she was too weak.

"Be still," Grayheart meowed. "It will take a long while for you to heal."

The fox looked sternly at him, although her eyes were unseeing. "You brought my kits back to me," she barked. "For that, I thank you."

Grayheart nodded. "Let's call it even."

The fox chuckled lightly. "No. For this, I owe you."

Grayheart nodded modestly, not knowing what to say.

'Come on,' Midnight whispered from Grayheart's shadow. 'You've helped these kits. Now let's get out of this creepy forest.'

Grayheart turned to Kiri. "I'm sure you will be fine now, with your mother."

"Of course," Kiri yelped. "When you head back, tell my brother and sister that our Momma is all right."

Grayheart nodded and said a quick good-bye to the foxes. He padded through the undergrowth, stopping at the stream for a long drink. Once he found Hyli and his sister, he told them everything that had happened. He left out the part about the Twilight Crystal and merely said that she had momentarily lost her memory. He had knocked it back into her, and that was what the battle was for.

"Thank you so much," the she-fox barked.

"How are you feeling?" Grayheart asked.

"Much better!" she chirped. "Thank you for saving me from those Twolegs. Hyli told me everything."

Grayheart licked his shoulder. "I was glad to help."

"I'm sure we'll be seeing you around the forest," Hyli barked.

"I hope so," Grayheart mewed happily. "But for now, I must be going."

"Okay, bye!" the she-fox chirped.

Grayheart turned to leave, then paused, turning back. "Wait. I never got your name."

The kit flicked her tail playfully. "I'm Link."

Grayheart nodded and turned away, chuckling to himself. _Such odd names_.

**A/N: If you comment/review with the names from Zelda that inspired each of the fox kits' names, I'll write a special oneshot for ya. :P**


	8. Chapter Seven

_Grayheart sat watching two squirrels tussle_ beneath a tree. He had already eaten his fill and was taking a rest in ForestClan territory before setting out on his long journey. The squirrels stopped and looked at Grayheart in silence. He watched them closely, blue eyes narrowed. _You were once shadow beings…_ he thought to himself dryly. The squirrels decided to play it safe and scurried away through the undergrowth.

Grayheart sighed. Why did StarClan have to choose him to be the chosen warrior? Why did he have to be the one to safe the entire light realm from the evil Nightstar's magic? Truth be told, he found everything hard to believe. There were many times when he thought it was all a dream, but he'd scratch himself and never wake up. Even so, how could he believe it all? There was a strange cat living inside his shadow, powerful crystals that could make any creature go mad, and two different realms he had just learned about. Everything before this knowledge meant absolutely nothing! Everything that his Clanmates knew—it was only half of the amazing wonders the world had to unfold.

And he couldn't tell a single one.

Curling his tail around his body, Grayheart lay down beneath the shelter of a bush. As the sun sank below the horizon, Midnight appeared beside him.

'You're not going to see your Clan before you leave?' she mewed, usual sneer in his voice.

"They'd never recognize me," Grayheart muttered resignedly.

'Sure they will,' Midnight giggled. 'You still smell the same.'

"They'll take it as a trick of the light," Grayheart meowed. "I don't want my Clanmates turning on me now."

He knew inside that there was a chance his Clan would recognize him, but he couldn't deal with the stress at that moment.

"You said 'before I leave,'" Grayheart mumbled. "You know where I'm going?"

Midnight began bathing herself. 'I'm sure you won't find Blackpaw or Lightpaw back in your precious Clan.'

Grayheart's eyes widened. She was right. He had almost forgotten! "But I haven't a clue where they are!" he mewed in distress.

'Don't worry,' Midnight meowed. 'There are only a few places you can go.'

* * *

The next morning, Grayheart fluttered his eyes open to the bright sunlight pouring in through the treetops. _Good-bye, the familiar trees of ForestClan territory_, he thought wearily.

With a gaping yawn, he got to his brown paws. Midnight was nowhere to be seen, so she was probably hiding from the intense light in his shadow. _Oh, StarClan, guide me through this mess_…

"Hey!"

Grayheart's ears perked and his eyes widened. A familiar scent filled the air. _Tigerstripe!_

"Grayheart?"

Tigerstripe padded out from a thick patch of shrubs. After a fleeting glance at Grayheart, his orange eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he hissed. "Why do you smell like Grayheart?"

'Get out of here,' Midnight whispered from Grayheart's shadow.

Grayheart wished he could tell Tigerstripe everything, but he was at a loss for words.

"Get out of ForestClan territory!" Tigerstripe yowled, getting ready to pounce.

Grayheart sighed to himself and darted away, praying that Tigerstripe would have the sense not to follow him. Once he was far enough away that he couldn't smell the familiar scent markings of ForestClan territory, he slowed down.

"I've never been in this part of the forest before," he muttered to himself as he padded through the thinning trees. The undergrowth gradually grew less dense and his paws felt the cool, brown earth instead of usual leaves and shrubbery. Eventually, he let his curiosity get the best of him and continued through the woods until there were no more trees to shade him from the bright sun.

'I can't tell you where your friends ran off to,' Midnight mewed from his shadow, 'but I'm sure you'll find them if you use your nose.'

Grayheart lifted his muzzle and tasted the air. There was a very stale fear-scent, but he couldn't tell whether it was from a cat or not. He decided to follow it anyhow, realizing that this fearful animal may lead him to another clue.

As he padded through the grass, he caught glimpses of strange creatures flying overhead, as well as scurrying into invisible burrows underground. Every now and then he passed a group of shrubs and bushes, filled with red berries and nibbling insects. The plain, even though it was quite extensive, was full of life and very hilly. Grayheart found that his paws started aching from the unusual terrain.

All of a sudden, the fear-scent grew stronger. It was still rather stale, but his nose could pick up the direction a lot easier.

'Keep going,' Midnight meowed. 'I sense Nightstar's magic up ahead.'

Grayheart blinked. "What do you mean?"

'The twilight!' Midnight growled. 'Head for the twilight!'

Grayheart glared down at his shadow. "I thought I was looking for Blackpaw and Lightpaw."

'You are, mouse-brain,' Midnight hissed. 'Just trust me!'

Grayheart paused. Come to think of it, he couldn't really trust this mysterious she-cat who was coveting such a sacred treasure that didn't belong to her. He knew what the Twilight Crystal could do; he saw it with the she-fox and her kits. So why did Midnight want it so bad?

'Come on, I'm sure your friends are lost somewhere in the twilight,' Midnight persuaded. 'Where else would that fear-scent be coming from?'

Grayheart sighed. He couldn't argue with that. He dashed forward, keeping his senses alert and follow the scent. After a short trek across the field, Grayheart came to an enormous cliff. He gazed up at it in awe. "How in StarClan's name am I supposed to get up there?"

'Keep walking around it,' Midnight directed. 'I bet you don't even know where you are,' she scoffed.

Grayheart blinked. He took in his surroundings quietly for a moment, thinking very hard to himself. Suddenly, it hit him.

"Don't be silly," he meowed. "I know what the Great Field is when I see it."

There was no reply, and Grayheart padded along the bottom of the cliff in silence. Slowly, the light around dimmed. _There's no way the day is over already…_ But as he neared a small break in the cliff, the answer was clear.

A thick wall of twilight blocked his way.

As he neared the blanket of darkness, the light around him dimmed into nothing. He glanced behind him, but couldn't tell that there was ever a field there.

Midnight popped up in front of him. 'Is it twilight time?' she sneered.

Grayheart rolled his eyes. "Just take me in."

Midnight giggled and dashed through the wall. Grayheart braced himself, ready for the complete discomfort he was about to experience.

Sure enough, when the giant paw wrapped around him and pulled him through, he felt like he was being slammed into a thick tree branch. Once he made it to the other side, he could barely see from dizziness.

'You okay there, wolfie?' he heard Midnight giggle.

Grayheart blinked and looked down. He hadn't even noticed that he was once again a wolf. Suddenly, Midnight landed on his back with a thud. He growled at her, but didn't say anything.

'Ah, I just love the twilight!' Midnight cooed. 'I could get used to this. Can't you light beings just learn to cope?'

Grayheart shook his head. "You are unbelievable."

Midnight patted his back gently. 'And yet you're the cat who occasionally transforms into a wolf.'

Grayheart let a growl escape from his throat, hearing the uncomfortable sounds of a canine. He regained his composure and looked around him. The black flecks of twilight had returned, and the strange lighting made his head hurt.

'Let's get a move on, wolfie!' Midnight mewed.

Grayheart padded forward. This section of the Great Field, even though it was shrouded in twilight, was almost exactly the same as the other. The only real difference was that all the small creatures had now turned into shadow beings.

Suddenly, the sharp fear-scent of Blackpaw filled the air. "Blackpaw!" Grayheart barked, eyes widening. "He went this way! And he's terribly frightened…"

Midnight giggled from atop his back. 'Then keep going!'

Grayheart padded through the field, keeping an eye out for aggressive shadow beings. He was simply amazed that no matter where he looked, the Great Field extended beyond the horizon. _That's probably why it's called the Great Field_, he thought to himself.

'Watch out, mouse-brain!' Midnight hissed.

Grayheart paused and looked down at his paws. He stood before a gaping chasm which seemed nearly impossible to cross. But what was more, the sky seemed to be tearing apart.

Grayheart looked up. To his dismay, another black hole was appearing right above him.

'Some of Nightstar's followers,' Midnight muttered. 'Come on, let's take care of them.'

Grayheart crouched in a defensive stance, watching as the giant, lumbering creatures dropped from the hole. There were two of them, strangely shaped and growling. Grayheart let a small shudder pass through him before launching for one of the creatures. It tried to swipe him away, but he dug his claws into its scaly skin, holding on for dear life. Once he had bitten at its jugular, the beast fell to the ground, lifeless.

'No, no, no!' Midnight cried.

"What?!" Grayheart howled, turning to look at her. But before anything else could be said, the second shadow being let out a blood-curdling shriek. Grayheart crouched down, pressing his ears to his head. The screech was so loud and high-pitched that many of the creatures of the forest scurried away in fright.

Finally, the piercing noise stopped and Grayheart opened his eyes, relaxing. But his relief soon vanished when he saw that the scream had reawakened the twilit monster he had just dispatched.

"What—how did that happen?" Grayheart cried.

'They can do that,' Midnight yowled. 'You have to kill them at the same time.'

"How do I—"

'Get ready!'

"For what?!"

Suddenly, a purplish haze emanated from Midnight's crystal. The strange force quieted the beasts and they came forward in curiosity.

'Now! Attack them!'

Grayheart lunged for a beast's head. He bit at the base of its neck and killed it swiftly, then turned to the other creature. It was still mesmerized with Midnight's crystal and he had the perfect shot at its neck. With a final blow, both monsters were silenced and lifeless.

'And that's how you do it twilight style,' Midnight giggled, lying down on Grayheart's back once more.

Grayheart stood, there panting with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. "That still doesn't solve our issue with the enormous chasm in front of us."

'Look.'

Grayheart did. The twilit monsters were disintegrating into flecks of twilight and evaporating into the dim air, but the dark red swirls of the hole in the sky turned a pale purple.

"What _is_ that thing?"

'It's a portal,' Midnight explained. 'Creatures from the twilight realm use them to get from place to place. Including me. That's how I got you back to ForestClan territory, remember?'

Grayheart didn't say anything. He was learning so much about the world in such a short period of time. This strange twilight magic—he was sure no other cat in the light realm knew about it!

'We can warp from anywhere you want,' Midnight mewed. 'But it has to be to a specific portal. And if I do recall…there's a portal just by the Treebridge.'

Grayheart thought back to when he defeated the twilit monster near the pond in ForestClan territory. "Yes, there is."

'Well, there's our way to get across the chasm!'

Grayheart snorted. "Are you crazy?" he barked. "We can't just _take_ the Treebridge! It's been there for generations!"

'We're only borrowing it,' Midnight muttered. 'Besides, I'm sure there are plenty of ways to get across there. Do you see one here?'

Grayheart sighed. "Okay. What do I do?"

'Absolutely nothing,' Midnight giggled. Before Grayheart knew it, he was back in ForestClan territory, outside of the twilight.

"So why am I still a wolf?" Grayheart asked, glancing at his body.

'You haven't gotten the Stars of Twilight for that area of the Great Field,' Midnight explained. 'Just be patient. You'll be a cat again soon. Come on, let's get to the Treebridge.'

Grayheart dashed through the thickly wooded area. He was amazed that he had left only moments before and was now back within the speed of light, in the form of a wolf! All of this twilight terminology would take a while for him to get used to.

Once he made it to a break in the familiar forest, he padded up to the Treebridge. "What now?"

Midnight popped up in front of him, translucent. She crouched, crystal atop her head glowing once more. Grayheart took an apprehensive step backward, hearing a gradual growl rising from the tiny she-cat's throat. Suddenly, the Treebridge began lifting. Grayheart's eyes widened as he watched the enormous trunk disintegrate, just like the shadow beings. The twilight flecks gathered into a group and flew into the air, out of sight.

'Come on,' Midnight mewed. 'We have to go back now.'

Grayheart closed his eyes. He was learning that the whole warping process was much easier to cope with while one's eyes were closed. He felt the swirling of air around him before he landed peacefully in the same exact place he was before, in front of the chasm. He opened his eyes to see the Treebridge had been placed there, just like it had been in the ForestClan territory.

"Amazing."

'What?'

Grayheart shook his head. He sniffed the air, catching Blackpaw's scent once more. With a gentle pat, he checked the safety of the Treebridge and crossed swiftly, making sure he kept his weight on his haunches so he didn't move it too much. He galloped onward, noticing that the trees started becoming more frequent. It wasn't necessarily turning into a forest, but there were enough trees to say that it wasn't a field anymore.

Suddenly, a new scent touched Grayheart's senses. "That's familiar…" he mumbled to himself. He heard Midnight giggle.

'I bet I know why…'

Grayheart glanced up at the trees. He did a double-take, finding a very familiar scent in the air. The gigantic tree touching the sky in front of him was…

"Whitestar!" he barked.

'The Great Tree,' Midnight mewed, tail swiping back and forth. 'Your senses are getting stronger, wolfie!'

"Blackpaw's scent…" Grayheart mumbled. "It's coming from somewhere behind the tree."

'Then get moving!'

Grayheart bounded forward, feeling Midnight's claws digging into his fur. It took him a good long while to dash all the way around the Great Tree, but eventually he found his way to the other side. He continued following the scent, darting through the trees a lot more quickly than he could've done as a cat. As a wolf he had powerful muscles that could push him forward with ease.

Suddenly, a thickly constructed wall of intertwined twigs and leaves came into view. It was just at the base of an enormous rocky mountain, and Grayheart's senses told him that a Clan of cats lived there. Blackpaw's scent as well as the other apprentices of ForestClan was emanating strongly from the wall. Quietly but surely, he dug his way underneath the wall, careful not to destroy it. He had respect for this other Clan that was forced to reside in the dreadful eternal twilight.

The instant he slithered into the unfamiliar camp, three shadow beings turned their plated heads sharply in his direction. He growled, not exactly wanting to deal with these cumbersome twilit monsters. He barely even noticed that Midnight was using her strange powers to silence the monsters as he dispatched them one by one. They didn't even put up a fight, too entranced my Midnight's incredible Twilight Crystal.

Once the monsters were dead, their pieces of twilight formed into another swirling portal, and Grayheart made a mental note that they could warp there whenever they wanted.

Finally, Grayheart had a chance to look around. What he saw amazed him. This camp was more than three times the size of the ForestClan camp! The thick wall of branches concealed multiple dens for the warriors, a large pond, and even another sectioned off area that led up the mountain. There must've been a least thirty cats in this Clan.

'Come on, wolfie,' Midnight mewed. 'I smell your friends.'

Grayheart tasted the air. He smelled Blackpaw and a strong whiff of fear-scent, but another scent startled him. Darkpaw, Bravepaw, and Gingerpaw were there too! Did the monsters steal them as well?

Grayheart glanced around. Even though the camp was considerably sized, he couldn't see a single spirit from the light realm. Where were the warriors? Where were the ForestClan apprentices?

Suddenly, a gentle moaning came from the direction of the pond. 'Come on,' Midnight meowed. 'You have to restore light to this area.'

Grayheart padded quietly over to the pond. A dimmed ball of light was hovering over the black water.

"Chosen warrior of StarClan…"

Grayheart sat down at the edge of the pond, gazing up at the ball of light. He had been through this before and knew what was coming.

"You have traveled far from your home in ForestClan," the StarClan spirit meowed. "Now it is time to restore light to this area of the forest. Find my Stars of Twilight, and you will see the brightness of the light realm and your normal fur once more."


	9. Chapter Eight

_Grayheart still couldn't believe that all _the cats of this Clan were missing. They must've been hiding somewhere from the insects that were invading their territory. Sure enough, when he sniffed around, he found the scent of the ForestClan apprentices leading to one of the dens to his left. He padded over quietly, and poked his head through a patch of ferns.

He blinked. He saw at least a dozen cats huddled together in the roomy den, sharing tongues and discussing the terrible fate of their Clan. They appeared to be having a meeting with who seemed to be the Clan leader. But sitting around the leader were Blackpaw, Bravepaw, Darkpaw, and Gingerpaw. Unfortunately, Lightpaw's scent had disappeared back in the Great Field.

"I keep forgetting they can't see me," Grayheart muttered, hearing Midnight giggle in response. I irked him that she found every bit of misfortune for him to be amusing.

"Those monsters…they're gone!" Grayheart heart a cat meow.

Many relieved faces turned to glance at the opening of the den, right where Grayheart was standing. They looked straight through him to see that the monsters he had previously killed were gone.

"Thank StarClan!" another cat mewled, sighing.

"This isn't over," a deep voice growled. Grayheart saw a cat with black fur sitting by himself in the corner. "They're going to come back. They took Rainwhisker, remember? We can't just let that go!"

"We're not going to, Blacktail," the leader-like figure meowed firmly. "We will avenge your mate."

Blacktail flicked the tip of his tail apprehensively. "What if they come in here and find us?" he asked. "We all know what will happen then! Those terrifying creatures will—"

"Blacktail!" the leader hissed, just as Gingerpaw broke out into a high-pitched wail.

"It's okay, child," the leader meowed. "Don't be frightened."

"Don't worry, Gingerpaw," Blackpaw mewed. "Grayheart is coming to save us all!"

There was silence in the den. No cat knew who Grayheart was except for the apprentices, but this silenced Gingerpaw who gave him a look.

"I can feel it," Blackpaw added. "I know he won't forget us."

Grayheart looked down. He wished more than anything that he could console his Clanmates and tell them that he hadn't forgotten, that he had come to save them. But it was no use.

"Isn't there another place we can hide?" Blacktail insisted.

The leader flicked his dappled brown tail. "There are enormous, buzzing insects everywhere," he growled. "If you would like to fend them off for us, be my guest."

Blacktail looked away, obviously defeated.

'Come on, wolfie,' Grayheart heard Midnight mew as she patted his back. 'We have to save this poor Clan from the bugs!'

Grayheart turned away quietly. He padded outside of the den, tail between his legs. But as it dawned on him, a new determination filled his thoughts. He had to restore light to the area and help the Clan, as well as his own Clanmates.

* * *

The first few bugs were not difficult to find. They were out in plain sight and he dispatched them quickly, growing used to their speed and agility. Midnight stored the Stars of Twilight away with her magic, directing Grayheart through the elaborate and extended web of dens that was this Clan's camp. They even had to head up the mountain through the small opening, finding at least three insects there. Up near the mountain Grayheart also had to defeat three more twilit monsters, as well as meet a couple more cat spirits of the Clan. Finally, they were down to one Star which seemed nearly impossible to locate.

"Maybe it's back in the den with the other cats," Grayheart suggested.

'No,' Midnight stated simply.

Grayheart sighed. He hated how Midnight always assumed herself to be correct, no matter the situation.

'Try the leader's den,' Midnight meowed.

Grayheart vaguely recalled the leader's scent and scoped out the den underneath an enormous boulder. Sure enough, the static buzzing of the last insect was crawling around the inside, unable to escape.

Grayheart growled. "Mine now," he muttered, leaping for the bug. But just as he did so, the insect leapt into the air, sprouting unexpected wings. Grayheart landed with a thump against the wall of the den, shaking his head in pain. "Wings?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

'Come on, it's getting away!'

Grayheart spun around swiping at the bug that was now gliding through the air. What seemed like concentrated fire was being released from the fluttering wings, lightening up the inside of the roomy den. "What in StarClan's name…"

Suddenly, a current of the concentrated fire shot out at Grayheart, slamming him against the wall once more. The force was so extreme that chips of the boulder began tumbling down. Conveniently enough, a large spike landed straight on the insect, revealing the last Star of Twilight.

'Get out of here!' Midnight hissed. 'This thing is going to cave in at any moment!'

Grayheart did so, dashing out of the den just as the crumbling boulder caved. The Star of Twilight floated gently in the air and Midnight flicked her tail, watching as the Star disappeared.

'Come on, let's go back to the pond,' she meowed.

"But we just destroyed that leader's den!" Grayheart barked. "After all he's already done for ForestClan!"

'We'll worry about it later when the light has been restored,' Midnight snapped. 'Now come on, wolfie!'

Grayheart rolled his eyes and cast a final glance at the boulder debris before padding over to the pond. In a single moment, all the Stars of Twilight appeared before his blue eyes, combining to form one giant ball of light. Midnight jumped off of Grayheart's back, hiding behind him from the intense brightness.

Grayheart watched in awe as the color and light from the Stars seeped through the world around him. He had seen this happen once before, but he knew he'd never grow tired of it. The treaded ground grew a little warmer as its true color returned. The sky became even bluer and the wildlife around him retrieved its bright and beautiful green.

What was more, Grayheart glanced down. His brown fur had returned. He was a cat once more.

He glanced down to see Midnight blinking at him before disappearing into his shadow.

"Brave warrior of ForestClan…"

Grayheart looked up. The hazy, translucent image of a cat was positioned above the water, sitting with its tail wrapped neatly over its front paws.

"You have fulfilled another part of your destiny," the cat meowed. "I am Firestar, an ancient leader of this Clan known as FireClan. We are the ancient volcano dwellers with thin fur, able to sustain high temperatures. I will warn you, chosen warrior. The path ahead of you involves much heat. Prepare for your task wisely."

Grayheart held his tongue. He didn't want to say anything stupid in front of this great StarClan leader.

"You have succeeded in finding the lost children of your Clan," Firestar meowed additionally. "Go and see to them." With that, the bright spirit of StarClan jumped down into the water, disappearing into the crystal-clear surface.

Grayheart spun around immediately, watching as a few heads popped out of the den where the cats had been. Firestar was correct in his words; all these cats had very little fur and some of them were even hairless! The sight was strange to Grayheart, but he decided not to say anything to offend them.

Suddenly, the strong cat who had appeared to be the leader stepped forth and out of the den. He seemed to be observing the camp, checking to see if it was safe. His gray eyes caught the ForestClan warrior, and Grayheart braced himself. "You!"

Grayheart played a brave, confident role and strode over to the tom with the thin layer of dark brown fur. "I understand this looks rather suspicious. My name is Grayheart of ForestClan. I've come to—"

"No need for that nonsense," the leader meowed. "You've come to save FireClan!"

Grayheart blinked. "Um, sure, let's go with that."

"Many, many thank to you and ForestClan," the cat thanked profusely. "I am Talonstar, leader of FireClan. You must also be searching for the little ones."

Grayheart's ears perked. "Where are they?"

Talonstar chuckled heartily before turning back to the den. "Every cat is in the elders' den." He raised his voice: "The camp is clear. FireClan is safe!"

With an uproar of joyous mews, an enormous amount of warriors, queens, and apprentices dashed out of the cramped den. They took pieces of fresh-kill from the hole that had been dug out and pranced over the various rocks and logs. Among them were Blackpaw, Bravepaw, Darkpaw, and Gingerpaw, sitting together near the den.

Suddenly, Blackpaw's ears shot up and his small eyes widened. Grayheart purred in relief. "Grayheart!" With that, all four apprentices were dashing toward him, pressing their noses to his and rubbing up against his side.

"Blackpaw…oh, StarClan, I was so worried!" Grayheart breathed, drawing his tongue over the ears of the ForestClan apprentices. He smelled a faint trace of FireClan scent on them. "How long have you been here?"

"Too long," Bravepaw meowed. "But it was worth it!"

"Come on, you mouse-brains!" the small voice of a FireClan apprentice mewed. "Are you going to come play or not?"

Talonstar chuckled. "That's my son, Sparrowpaw. He's done a lot to make these four welcome among our unnecessarily hostile Clanmates."

Grayheart nodded, watching as the four apprentices dashed off to play tag with their new friend. "I have to thank you," he meowed. "If you hadn't taken them in, I would never have been able to find them."

Talonstar shook his head. "No need. We are even now, seeing as you saved my Clan from those terrible monsters."

The mention of the shadow beings threw Grayheart back into reality. He didn't have time to sit around and chat with the FireClan leader. But one thing did strike him.

He was in another Clan! His beliefs and suspicions had been true, and here he was, adventuring just like he had always wanted. Even though there were many difficult tasks ahead of him, he couldn't help but purr in joy.

"I do believe the journey back to your Clan is a long one," Talonstar meowed. "Would you like a FireClan warrior to assist you?"

"Strangely enough," Grayheart began, "I can't head back to the forest quite yet."

Talonstar looked at him. "Oh?"

"There's something I need here…" Grayheart paused. He had absolutely no idea how to come about asking this. But he remembered the ferocity of the she-fox and wondered if the same thing was going on around here. "Tell me… Have you seen anything odd lately? Maybe a strange animal, or even one of your warriors going a little bit…off their rocker?"

Talonstar seemed to seriously ponder Grayheart's request, tail waving back and forth. "The Clan-less cats of the mountain."

Grayheart's ears perked as he watched Talonstar closely. "Clan-less cats?"

"They call themselves cougars, or just mountain cats," Talonstar explained. "They were once on good terms with FireClan and we would have occasional meetings about the happenings of the volcano. But after the strange monsters appeared, they seemed to cut themselves off from FireClan entirely. They wanted nothing to do with us."

'That sounds like our ticket,' Midnight mewed suddenly from Grayheart's shadow.

"I'm going to check out the volcano before I take the apprentices home," Grayheart decided.

Talonstar's eyes widened. "Grayheart, you have no experience with these cats," he meowed. "They are at least three times the size of a normal cat."

_Good,_ Grayheart thought to himself. _At least I'll be used to it_.

"StarClan is with me," Grayheart meowed. He received a strange glance from Talonstar, but let it pass. "I'm sure of it."

After a short moment, Talonstar nodded. "We will watch over the ForestClan apprentices while you confront these volcano cats."

Grayheart nodded his appreciation. He cast a final glance at the ForestClan apprentices, playing with Sparrowpaw, before dashing through the small opening and up toward the rocky volcano.

The problem was, Grayheart had no idea what the term "volcano" entailed.

As he padded along the rocky path, he kept his senses alert. A couple of bats flew across the gorge and he growled as they passed, but they didn't seem to bother him. One thing that caught him by complete surprise was the strange currents of air that burst frequently from the ground. They were white streams of hot air that exploded from holes in the rocky earth, and he couldn't tell when they were going to blow. A giant shroud of clouds covered the sun, so Midnight found it comfortable to pad alongside him half the time. Of course, since she was merely a shadow, she could walk straight through the streams of air without being affected whatsoever.

"I don't even know where we're heading," Grayheart muttered.

'That FireClan leader said mountain cats,' Midnight mewed. 'Can't you sniff them out?'

"I have no idea what mountain cats smell like!" Grayheart meowed.

'That isn't my fault!' Midnight hissed. 'You're not a wolf anymore!'

"You're a cat yourself," Grayheart retorted. "Don't you have a sense of smell?"

'I'm a shadow!' Midnight snapped, baring her teeth at Grayheart. 'You'd better watch your mouth, _chosen warrior of StarClan_, or I can disappear on you.'

"But you wouldn't," Grayheart meowed, voice quieter. Midnight didn't say anything. "You need me to get to the Twilight Crystal. Why would you leave me?"

'I can find another cat to help me,' Midnight mewed, although she knew she was out of words.

"But you said it yourself," Grayheart explained. "I'm the chosen warrior of StarClan. I have a direct connection to the Great Leader herself—"

'Do you think I care what your so-called Great Leader thinks?' Midnight interrupted. With that, she disappeared into his shadow once more.

Grayheart sighed. He didn't know how much longer he could tolerate this ridiculously hostile she-cat. She was so tiny, the size of a baby rabbit, and yet so fierce. He didn't want to help her, but he had promised. _Oh, StarClan, help me._

Suddenly, Grayheart heard a growl from right behind him. Ears perked and eyes widened, he spun around on his brown paws. But to his surprise, there was nothing behind him. He let a growl rise from his throat as he turned back around suspiciously. An unfamiliar scent filled his senses as he realized it must be the cougars.

With a loud shriek, something pounced right on Grayheart from the sky. He let out a ferocious hiss as he struggled beneath the weight of the creature attacking him. Eventually he managed to squirm around onto his back, getting a look at his enemy. It a cat about three times the size of Grayheart, just like Talonstar had said. Judging by his scent he was male, and had very short, tan fur. His ears were strangely rounded and his muzzle was larger, lined with razor-sharp fangs.

Grayheart struggled with his attacker, scratching at his face and ears. Eventually he pushed hard enough to knock the cat away from him, scrambling to his paws hurriedly.

"What are you doing in mountain cat territory?" the tom hissed angrily, stalking around Grayheart.

"My name is Grayheart," Grayheart meowed hastily. "I come from a Clan far on the other side of the Great Field. Talonstar, the leader of FireClan—"

"The cougars of the volcano want nothing to do with the puny kittens of the pitiful Clan below," the cat growled, ears pressed back against his head.

"But Talonstar told me that you were once on good terms with the Clan cats," Grayheart explained. "What happened? Why are you all of sudden spiteful of these harmless Clan cats?"

The cougar seemed to think over Grayheart's words silently. His tail was still waving back and forth in defiance, but his growling had ceased.

"You'd better come with me," he hissed suddenly, turning and dashing off across the mountainside.

Blinking in confusion, Grayheart gathered himself together and bounded after the mountain cat. He followed him through narrow ravines, paws starting to ache as they pounded against the rocky surface. He almost lost sight of the cat at a couple points, and started wondering if that was the whole point of this chase. But as the cougar neared a giant cave within the mountainside, his doubt disappeared.

"Come on," the cat yowled, pelting inside the cave. Grayheart followed him warily, using his tail and whiskers to see inside the dark alcove.

After a long while of following the scent of the cougar, they entered a section of the cave where the bright sunlight was shining in through a in the rock. The heat inside the wide space was unbearable, but Grayheart forced himself to deal with it.

The mountain cat who had led him inside paused. He turned to Grayheart. "We are the cats of Fire Mountain," he growled. "We've been living here for generations upon generations and—"

"Thank you, Storm, I will take care of this."

Grayheart glanced up. Right where the ray of sunlight shone through the hole, a slim she-cat padded up on top of a boulder. She was slightly smaller than Storm but still had all the same characteristics. Storm let out a growl and stalked away. It was when he disappeared that Grayheart noticed the large amount of cougars surrounding him. They were all curled up together around the edge of the cave, avoiding the sunlight. A few of them were sharing tongues, but many of them had stopped to stare or growl at the newcomer.

"What is your name, Clan cat?" the female mountain cat asked.

"I am Grayheart of ForestClan," Grayheart meowed with a slight nod. This she-cat seemed to be the leader of the group.

"I am River, leader of the mountain cat tribe," she confirmed, sitting atop the boulder. "Tell me, why have you come to our volcano?"

Grayheart sat down, slightly confused. He imagined the leader of this tribe to be hostile and unfriendly. "I received some information from Talonstar, the leader of the Clan at the base of the volcano."

"FireClan," River meowed with a nod.

"He told me," Grayheart continued, "that FireClan and this tribe once had a friendly alliance. He explained that the cats would have meeting to discuss the volcano or issues on prey during leaf-bare."

River's ear flicked slightly. "This is true."

"What happened?" Grayheart asked simply. "Did FireClan do something to offend your tribe?"

River seemed thoughtful for a moment. She glanced around at her tribe, who had remained silent the entire time, listening to their conversation. "Follow me," she decided finally, turning and padding out of the light.

Grayheart leapt on top of the boulder and used his sense of smell to follow River toward the back of the cave. To his surprise, it extended deep into the depths of the volcano, the heat gradually increasing and making Grayheart rather uncomfortable. "How do you deal with intense heat?" he finally asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

River chuckled lightly. "We have thin coats, like the FireClan cats," she explained. "We've grown used to the heat of the volcano. You come from the damp, cool forest. There's no wonder why you find it intolerable."

River's tone irked Grayheart. She was recognizing his discomfort and didn't care to do anything about. But he followed her nonetheless.

The two stopped in a small dark alcove just inside the cave. River sat down, wrapping her tail neatly around her front paws. Grayheart did the same, but quickly shot up again when he heard a loud roar.

"What in StarClan's name was that?" he meowed, glancing around them.

"There's something you must see," River meowed quietly, nodding toward a large hole in the ground. Grayheart glanced at her before padding up to the edge of hole, peering inside.

The hole opened up to a deep chasm, the ground just barely visible in the dark lighting. All of a sudden, another roar sounded and a large paw shot up from the hole, almost slashing Grayheart across the face.

"Careful!" River snapped, darting toward the hole.

"What is down there?" Grayheart hissed, panting from the shock.

"_That_ used to be the most peaceful member of the tribe," River explained, voice melancholy. "He would make all the connections with FireClan." She glanced into Grayheart's blue eyes. "Grayheart of ForestClan… Meet Night, the mountain cat tribe messenger."


End file.
